Djunmal | National Museum of Australia

Mayarrmayarr clan, Liya’gawumirr language, Dhuwa moiety

Portrait of a man. - click to view larger image — Djunmal

About 1920–1975

Djunmal was a senior ritual leader of the Liya’gawumirr people and was known for always wearing sunglasses.

Along with Narritjin Maymuru and other Yolŋu, Djunmal participated in the acclaimed Aboriginal Theatre Foundation, which performed in Sydney and Melbourne in 1963.

Djunmal’s paintings are held in collections throughout Australia, in Paris and Basel, and in the Kluge-Ruhe Collection at the University of Virginia.

Djunmal’s work was selected for the Scougall Collection exhibition, sponsored by Qantas, that travelled to Tokyo, Auckland, San Francisco, Montreal and Tehran in 1961–63.

Paintings in the exhibition

A bark painting worked with ochres on bark. The painting is divided into two panels by a vertical band which features leaf shapes and red, yellow and white dots on a black background covered in white crosshatching. This is bisected in the centre by a horizontal band also with white crosshatching on black and there are two further horizontal bands dividing the painting into eight sections. The left hand side of the painting is decorated in black diamond shapes and the right hand side with white, yellow, and black stripes. - click to view larger image — *The Djan’kawu Cross Back to the Mainland*

A bark painting worked with ochres on bark. The painting is divided into three panels by two crosshatched horizontal lines. The top panel depicts five large swordfish, two small swordfish, two diver ducks, two small fish, four rectangular objects and a circular jellyfish. The central panel depicts five large and five small swordfish, two diver ducks, three small fish and a small yellow circle. The lower panel depicts five large and one small swordfish, two diver ducks, three anemones, four fish and a sea snake.The painting has a background of dotted lines on a black surface. - click to view larger image — *The Sea Voyage of the Djan’kawu Sisters*

Birrikitji Gumana

Gawirrin Gumana

Mithinarri Gurruwiwi

John Namerredje Guymala

Harry Makarrwala

Papunya Painting: Out of the Australian Desert

Sydney Warrane

Aboriginal language game

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All these bark paintings are part of the National Museum of Australia’s collection. © the artist or the artist’s estate, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency 2013, unless otherwise specified. These images must not be reproduced in any form without permission.

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