Malaluba Gumana (1952 - 2020)


Provenance
Buku Larrnggay Arts and Culture, Yirrkala NT;
Malaluba Gumana and Djirrirra Wunungmurra, Annandale Galleries Sydney, August 1 – Sept 12, 2015;
Private collection, Sydney
Exhibited
Malaluba Gumana’s cross-hatched water lily designs were created through her use of the marwat – a “hairbrush” that can create the finest of lines painted in natural ochres and pigments. A recipient of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award for bark painting in 2013, Gumana mainly painted her mother’s Gålpu clan designs of dhatam (waterlily), djari (rainbow), djayku (file-snake) and wititj (olive python). Her work is held in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales as well as prominent private collections.


Dhatam (Malaluba larrakitj)
earth pigments on Stringybark hollow pole
H:168 x W:29 x D:29 cm
Essay
Malaluba Gumana’s cross-hatched water lily design is created through her use of the marwat – a ‘hair brush’ that can create the finest of lines painted in natural ochres and pigments. A recipient of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award for bark painting in 2013, Malaluba Gumana mainly paints her mother’s Gålpu clan designs of dhatam (waterlilly), djari (rainbow), djayku (filesnake) and wititj (olive python). Her work is held in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales as well as prominent private collections.


Dhatam (Malaluba larrakitj)
earth pigments on Stringybark hollow pole
H: 220 x W: 26 x D: 26 cm
Essay
Malaluba Gumana’s cross-hatched water lily design is created through her use of the marwat – a ‘hair brush’ that can create the finest of lines painted in natural ochres and pigments. A recipient of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award for bark painting in 2013, Malaluba Gumana mainly paints her mother’s Gålpu clan designs of dhatam (waterlilly), djari (rainbow), djayku (filesnake) and wititj (olive python). Her work is held in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales as well as prominent private collections.


Essay
Malaluba Gumana’s cross-hatched water lily design is created through her use of the marwat – a ‘hair brush’ that can create the finest of lines painted in natural ochres and pigments. A recipient of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award for bark painting in 2013, Malaluba Gumana mainly paints her mother’s Gålpu clan designs of dhatam (waterlilly), djari (rainbow), djayku (filesnake) and wititj (olive python). Her work is held in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales as well as prominent private collections.