John Mawurndjul

Rainbow serpent by John Mawurndjul, 1991. Musée du quai Branly, Paris Balang Nakurulk (1952–2024) was an Australian contemporary Indigenous artist. He uses traditional motifs to express spiritual and cultural values. He is known for his creations based on the traditional cross-hatching style of bark painting technique known as rarrk. However, he is also known for carving, weaving, and batik.

Personal life Balang was born in 1952 in Mumeka, a traditional camping ground for members of the Kurulk clan, on the Mann River, about south of Maningrida. He is a member of the Kuninjku people of West Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, and grew up immersed in traditional life with extended family, having only occasional contact with non-indigenous people and culture. Born in the bush south of Maningrida, Balang has based his life on Kurulk clan lands that stretch between the Liverpool, Mann and Tomkinson Rivers and moved between seasonal camps along these rivers with family. This tract of sparsely populated tropical woodland is some 500 kilometres east of Darwin and accessible by dirt road only during the dry season. Steeped in ancestral narratives and abundant in plant and animal life, the area features ancient rock art galleries that skirt the northern rim of the Arnhem Plateau. he was living a traditional lifestyle at an outstation near Maningrida, still painting and hunting.

Balang was introduced to ritual painting in 1969 by his father Anchor Kulunba (c. 1920 – 1996). Balang's art practices began through his participation in the Mardayin ceremony, where he learned to paint rarrk on bodies and ceremonial objects. Under Njiminjuma's watch, Balang was also introduced to long-established Kuninjku conventions dictating subject matter and its iconography, the characteristics of which have been explored at length by anthropologist Luke Taylor in his pioneering analysis of Western Arnhem Land art.

Growing up during the late 20th century, Balang experienced an era when the government of Australia was beginning to have a greater reach into Arnhem Land; a phenomenon that influenced his art throughout his career. Throughout his life, ration depots became commercialized villages and towns in the region that fundamentally changed the lives of indigenous people. Through his work, Balang addresses the complex colonial relationships that spawned from this development. Balang's works uses Kuninjku knowledge, embed stories, laws, and ceremony to create visual art. the rainbow serpent that he depicts and honors in much of his artwork.

Art Balang is known for his use of ‘rarrk'. This is a form of crosshatched linework used in Arnhem Land ceremonial painting. His application of the technique creates a dynamic visual effect, making the art visually interesting. Balang's use of rarrk is not simply for decoration, rather, it often makes the viewer feel a little unsure of what they’re seeing. The way the lines move and shift gives the artwork a sense of motion or flickering, which draws people in and makes them observe more deeply. This kind of visual confusion actually connects to how Kuninjku people understand their ceremonies, where not everything is meant to be seen clearly or understood right away. Balang's use of rarrk marked a major turning point in bark painting. Mawurndjul was the first bark painter to successfully challenge the hegemony of the Desert and Kimberley styles within the terms of contemporary. He introduced new ways of showing space, adding depth, and creating visual effects through his cross-hatching techniques. His approach also brought new perspectives to the composition of bark paintings, mixing traditional techniques with a more experimental, personal style. These grid structures and the occasional exposures of the under layers of paint create a bir'yin' ("brilliance," "shining," "shimmering") effect, a quality of reminiscent of wangarr marr, or ancestral power. For Mawurndjul, the aesthetic effects on his paintings are not just for visuals. The rarrk patterns express the strength of Ancestral power and are known to have a spiritual purpose rather than a stylistic intent. His ceiling murals, for example, use these visual effects to imitate the power of Ngalyod. Later he produced paintings of Ngalyod that showed its body with dazzling zigzags of colour. Some early works show detailed compositions with Ngalyod encircling other Djang and pulling them into the ground. Mawurndjul's 2018–2019 retrospective, John Mawurndjul: I Am the Old and the New, showcased his innovative use of rarrk (crosshatching) and his focus on sacred sites in Arnhem Land. Critics noted that his work challenges the dichotomy between traditional and contemporary art, positioning him as a pivotal figure in redefining Indigenous Australian art within the global contemporary art scene. Balang's later work also includes circle shapes on top of the rarrk pattern, creating an visual effect that seems to make these circles "float" or even form figures with the grid that encapsulate more complex meanings. and elder brother Jimmy Njiminjuma In 1979, Balang began painting for the market, in which much of his works were small bark paintings that depicted animals and spirits, including bambirl (echidna), ngaldadmurrng (saratoga fish), birlmu (large barramundi fish), mimih spirits, yawkyawk and Ngalyod (the Rainbow Serpent). While he was best known for his bark paintings, Balang also contributed to the mimih sculpture tradition that was created by his father-in-law Crusoe Kuningbal. These spirit figures are carved from softwood and have become important to the Maningrida region. Two examples of these early works are Ngaldadmurrng saratoga (1979) and Ngalyod, the Rainbow Serpent at Dilebang (c.1979). Some of his inspiration draws from Yirawala, Midjawmidjaw, Paddy Compass, and other artists. Balang also takes strong inspiration from various sacred places. Balang before he starts new works will look across the Kurulk clan estate for inspiration.

Over Balang's career he has employed many different techniques, some from his culture and others he has created himself. In the beginning of his career Balang stuck to his roots through creating many images of important figures in Aboriginal art such as the rainbow serpent Ngalyod. In later years he has emphasized a "geometric aesthetic", using Mardayin ceremony body paintings in his works and making them his own. Many of Balang's paintings map his ancestral lands and reference sacred sites. These places are associated with Mardayin ceremonies and ancestral narratives.

For instance, in Madayin Ceremony (2000), Balang uses trianglular shapes hidden in a rectangular grid near the top of the work, similar to a body painting from the Kakodbebuldi region. In fact, because the contemporary art world has started to consider his work as such, Balang clarified that this geometric experimentation was not in attempts to stray from traditional Madayin ceremonies, but to avoid using designs that would uncover their sacred and secret meanings in his works that are produced for the market. Another important thing to note about his work is that "he is a history painter, not a landscape painter."

While painting on bark has been Balang's primary medium, the artist has also produced many figurative carvings and lorrkon (hollow log coffins), bringing them to life with his finely painted imagery, and he has forayed briefly into printmaking. Balang, despite showing deep respect and honoring tradition and his culture constantly in his work, that he is always finding new ways to express himself through his art. Balang states, "I have my own style, my own ideas. I always think of new ways to paint, I always look for something different." Crossroads in Japan (1992), Aratjara: Art of the first Australians in Germany and the UK (1993–1994), and In the heart of Arnhem Land in France (2001).

Also in 2000, his work was featured at the Sydney Biennale. Crossing Country looked at the history of western Arnhem Land's artists and how they communicated and inspired each other. These works, within the architecture of one of Europe's most prominent museums of world cultures, had Kuninjku cultural meaning. The water lily, or Wyuk, is a recurring symbol in his work, for example, the MQBJC Lorrkkon. The lily reflects key aspects of the Nygalyod mythos, such as spiritual connectivity, fertility, and rebirth.

In 2018–2019 an exhibition of his work was shown in the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and afterwards as part of Tarnanthi 2018 at the Art Gallery of South Australia. The exhibition, titled John Mawurndjul: I am the Old and the New at the Museum of Contemporary Art showcased a collection of bark paintings from one of the leading custodians of the land in Australia. The exhibition highlighted Balang's spiritual heritage, which is reflected in his art, and the paradox of bark painting as both an ancient and new form of artistic expression. This exhibition showcased places of special cultural significance called kunred, along with the sacred places, spirits, and various animals that are integral to his artwork, has been developed under the leadership of the artist himself, and is described in both Kuninjku and English. This was the first major exhibition of his work in Australia.

Balang always cites a strong spiritual connection to ancestors, land, and the country in his artworks. He states, "I am only painting the land. I paint the power of that land. They are big places, sometimes dangerous and have a lot of power." According to Taylor et al., Mawurndjul's work reflects a conscious assertion of cultural continuity while also engaging with broader contemporary artistic discourses. This tension between innovation and inheritance is a defining feature of his practice, making his work both culturally grounded and internationally resonant.

Legacy Balang lived at Milmilngkan, his ancestral lands, where he participated in ceremonies and used materials sourced from his country for both art and sustenance. Milmilngkan is an important place in Mawurndjul's art. It is meaningful to him personally and spiritually, connecting his life story and art to his ancestors. John Mawurndjul: I Am the Old and the New combined works of art from both national and international collections produced over Balang's four decade career.

Through his art, Balang became the first Australian artist to be given a retrospective at two separate major European museums. Between 2005 and 2006 his work was displayed at Museum Tinguely in Basel, Switzerland, and Sprengel Museum in Hanover, Germany. This major international exhibition solidified his status as a globally recognized contemporary artist, bridging Indigenous Australian art with the European art world. A lot of Balang's work is inspired by Mardayin ceremonies, which are very important in his culture. He doesn't show the ceremonies directly. Instead, he uses patterns and shapes to depict the stories behind them. This way, he can share the meaning of these traditions while still keeping the secret message hidden. Balang also stores away Mardayin sacred objects painted with the ‘inside,' or secret, designs, which, should other artists wish to paint similar designs, they must come to him for his approval.

In 2003, Balang was awarded the prestigious Clemenger Contemporary Art Award at the National Gallery of Victoria, recognizing his significant contributions to contemporary Indigenous art in Australia. The Clemenger Contemporary Art Award is a national prize that includes both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australian artists. Reflecting on the award, Balang viewed it as a turning point in the world's perception of art, stating it demonstrated that "Aboriginal art and non-Aboriginal art were now considered ‘level’."

2003 also saw Balang named by Australian Art Collector magazine as one of the country's 50 most collectible artists. His works have been singled out for praise by many critics, including Art Gallery of New South Wales senior curator Hetti Perkins, and artist Danie Mellor.

In 2007, Mawurndjul was featured on the cover of UNTITLED. Portraits of Australian Artists, a photographic monograph by Sonia Payes published by Macmillan Art Publishing.

In 2010, Balang became a Member of the Order of Australia. This was because of his work in preserving the Aboriginal culture and artistic style through his work.

In addition to awards, Mawurndjul was featured in various Aboriginal books. He was featured in Crossing Country the Alchemy of Western Arnhem Land Art (Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2004). The symposium essays are divided into four parts, of which the first focuses on Mawurndjul and his art. The first section consist of accounts that Ryan and Taylor give of Mawurndjul's aesthetic, with Ryan taking a very formalist perspective focusing on the material-specificity of bark painting, and Taylor's anthropological background embedding Mawurndjul's aesthetic moves within social contexts. himself Red Ochre Award

Collections

Sprengel Museum, Hannover, Germany Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands Linden Museum, Stuttgart, Germany Museum der Kultren, Basel, Switzerland Sammlung Esl, Klosternenburg, Austria The Laverty Collection, Private Collection, Sydney, Australia The Kaplan-Lein Collection, Private Collection, United States of America Wesfarmers Collection, Perth, Australia Musee de Quai Branly, Paris, France Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands British Museum, UK Macquarie Bank Art Collection, Australia Charles Darwin University Art Collection, Darwin, Australia Laverty Collection, Sydney, Australia Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, Ballarat, Australia Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia Walonia Aboriginal Art, The Netherlands The Holmes á Court Collection, Perth, Australia South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia Parliament House Art Collection, Canberra, Australia National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia Museum of Contemporary Art, Maningrida Collection, Sydney, Australia National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Australia Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA Djomi Museum, Maningrida, Australia Artbank, Sydney, Australia Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, Australia Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia Aimee Proost Private Collection, Queensland, Australia