Djambawa Marawili was born in Eastern Arnhem Land into the Madarrpa people of Blue Mud Bay, which lies 800 kilometres east of Darwin on the north-western shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria in northern Australia. He now lives at Yilpara, three hours by road from Yirrkala. Early in life, Marawili learnt to be an artist from his father, Wakuthi, and his uncle, the celebrated painter Narritjin Maymuru.
Marawili paints on bark and hollow log burial poles in the spirit of buwayak (invisibility), in which representational elements in the work begin to disappear from view. He has developed a subtle visual language of geometric designs and cross-hatching to tell the creation stories of his people, which often embody the sea and its powerful tides and currents.
The deep cultural knowledge underpinning his paintings makes Marawili one of Australia’s most important Indigenous artists. Despite living with his extended family in a remote location, Marawili embraces the complexities of modern life and engages actively with art as well as political and environmental issues.
In 1996, Marawili was awarded the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award. His work has been included in major exhibitions including 'Zones of Contact: 2006 Biennale of Sydney'; the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 1996, 2000 and 2001; and in the landmark ‘Saltwater Country — Bark Paintings from Yirrkala: A National Tour Recognising Indigenous Sea Rights’ in 1999.
Gallery 1.1, GoMA
A full-colour publication is available from the Gallery Store.
View Djambawa Marawili artist Video (4 minutes 48 seconds)
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Street address
Stanley Place
South Bank
Brisbane
Australia
Postal address
PO Box 3686
South Brisbane
Queensland 4101
Australia
Telephone
+ 61 (0)7 3840 7303
Fax
+ 61 (0)7 3844 8865
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66 758 806 810
