NATSIAA winner wants to show Arnhem Land culture to the world

A Yolngu man has taken out the $50,000 top prize at the 2019 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards for his painting on stringybark

Telstra Art Award winner Djambawa Marawili with artwork Journey to America. Picture: Keri Megelus

YOLNGU man Djambawa Marawili has taken out the $50,000 Telstra Art Award at the 2019 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards for his painting on Stringybark.

His work title Journey to America 2018 depicts the five states of Blue Mud Bay — his homeland — and sharing his culture with America.

He currently has an exhibition showing in the US.

Telstra Emerging winner Titus Nganjmirra with artwork Queen Elizabeth. Picture: Keri Megelus

“I couldn't really send this one to America, I wanted this one back in Australia,” he said.

The intricate work took him a month to paint.

The work depicts the five different states of water in Blue Mud Bay.

The Yirritja estates of Yathikpa, Baraltja coastal and Baraltja riverine and the Dhuwa waters of Djarwarrk and Dhudi Djapu.

The main flow in the centre of the artwork is generated through Marawili singing the fire of the estate of Yathikpa which is passing from Australia depicted by the coat of arms, towards America depicted by the Statue of Liberty.

Wandjuk Marika three-dimensional winner Mataluba Gumana with artwork Rainbows in the Lillies. Picture: Keri Megelus

The two hands at the bottom of the piece, “is a story about a crocodile who lit the fire”.

“It is my totem, I have to go with that to reach out to Liberty in America.”

Through winning the award he hopes to share his culture with other Australians.

The award has been a long time coming for Mr Marawili who won the Bark Painting Award in 1996.

The three judges all agreed that the collection of 68 works selected for the exhibition stood out as strong pieces.

“They were all different but the works in the exhibitions are so strong, all the artists should be proud of what they have achieved,” said judge and Tiwi artist Pedro Wonaeamirri.

Telstra General Painting winner Kaylene Whiskey with artwork Seven Sistas. Picture: Keri Megelus

Five of the seven award winners were based in the Territory. In total 280 pieces were submitted in to the competition. The six category winners are Kaylene Whiskey of South Australia, Nyaparu (William) Gardiner of Western Australia, Nongirrna Marawili, Malaluba Gumana, Gutingarra Yunupingu and Titus Nganjmirra, who hail from the Territory.