Contemporary Aboriginal art from the Yirrkala region of NE Arnhemland, while coming from a collecting tradition dating back to the 1950's has gone from strength to strength over the last decade and in particular the last few years. Well established artists such as Wanyubi Marika and Djambawa Marawili have startled us with the vitality and originality of their work and new stars have emerged ? notably Gunybi Ganambarr who had a sell out show at Annandale in November 2009 with six works going to the National Gallery. The depth of prodigious artistic talent in the area is such that when John McDonald?s wrote in his review of this show in the Sydney Morning Herald; "his works would be acclaimed for the beauty and variety of his patterning, which juxtaposes the most delicate cross-hatching with lozenges, dots, areas of flat colour and rhythmic, flowing lines." he might well have been describing the works of Yalmakanay or Gurrundul.

The Marawili and Marika families have produced the greatest number of extraordinary artists. YALMAKANY MARAWILI was born in 1957 and has been exhibiting since 1998. She is the sister of Djambawa Marawili and is married to Waninya Marika. GURRUNDUL MARAWILI is also a sister of Djambawa and is married to Wanyubi Marika. The influence of Djambawa and Wanyubi is pervasive in these clans and clearly evident in the works of Yalmakany and Gurrundul but what is extraordinary is the extent to which they have both found an instantly recognizable style of their own. The female artists in particular have a way with the rhythms and line that creates depth and feeling and elicits a powerful emotional response in the viewer.