Press and Editorial

Samuel Namunjdja - Gungura / Sprial Wind - Group Show

22 October 2008
Bill Gregory

SAMUEL NAMUNJDJA is one of the most exciting artists to come from Maningrida in the Northern territory. He is now widely considered by museums and collectors to be the most collectable Kuninjku artist from the area, second only to the great John Mawurndjul in innovation and influence. He is the brother of Mawurndjul?s wife Kay Lindjuwanga and the son of the late Peter Marralwanga who was a huge influence on both Samuel and Mawurndjul.

Founded in the 1940?s, the town of Maningrida is situated about an hour by small plane in Arnhemland east of Darwin. The area is one of great physical beauty situated by the sea with some of the best sunsets in the world.

I had the opportunity to visit Samuel Namunjdja at his house during a recent visit to Maningrida. The house is a couple of doors down from John Mawurndjul?s home in the area of town known as ?side camp.? (There is also ?bottom camp? and ?top camp.?)
I took the short walk to Samuel?s house from the arts centre and found him sitting on his front porch with an enormous hollow log propped up beside him. Samuel was wearing a straw fedora and had cut his hair short since I last saw him - in London in September 2007. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground as we chatted. The log had been well prepared with a smooth surface and was evenly primed with white. The first lines of raark in ochre had been applied at one end. The sheer scale of the log seemed to indicate that a potentially great work was in the making and the final result, in the current exhibition, is in my view one of the finest ?lorrkons? or ceremonial logs Samuel has ever produced.

The key story in Samuel?s mature works is ?Gungura? or wind dreaming, with some of the works also featuring a near geometric vertical section called ?Kalawan tracks?. This patchwork of ?raark? or crosshatching depicting the wind dreaming is unique to his work. A mature work by Samuel is immediately recognizable due to the colour sense and the design. The colour employs a combination of red and yellow ochres with the overall effect a unique hue of orange/ochre. This colour is absolutely unique in my experience to the work of Samuel.

The wind is depicted as a patchwork of white and ochre bands, somewhat geometric in execution but becoming more organic in feel due to the overall execution over the surface of the painting. Careful scrutiny reveals an individuality that clearly separates one work from the next. It is not formulaic but rather felt by the artist and encourages us as viewers to take away different sensations according to the work.

SPIRAL WIND is the title we have given to the group show of artists from Maningrida to accompany the solo exhibition of Samuel Namunjdja. The title does not refer so much to the content of the works that are rich and varied in the stories they depict, but rather as a metaphor for the explosive innovation and variation to emerge in Maningrida over the last few years. Artists include senior Kuninjku figures John Mawurndjul, Ivan Namirrki, Owen Yalandja, Timothy Walanjbirr, Kay Lindjuwanga and James Iyuna as well as younger artists who have already made their mark such as Irenie Ngalinba, Samson Bonson, Joy Garlbin, Aileena Lamanga and Elysse Cameron. Most of these artists were also featured in the critically acclaimed and commercially successful exhibition of Kuninjku art staged in London by Josh Lilley Fine Art in association with Maningrida Arts and Culture and Annandale Galleries in September 2007. Also in ?Spirit in Variation? parts one & two (catalogue available) at Annandale in late 2007 and early 2008. Magnificent works have been carefully chosen over the last year to demonstrate the continual innovation of this group of artists as well as the consolidation of their position as one of the most exciting contemporary art movements in Australia.

For further press, information or visuals please contact Annandale Galleries

* A FULL COLOUR 48 PAGE CATALOGUE IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

« Back to main press page

SAMUEL NAMUNJDJA is one of the most exciting artists to come from Maningrida in the Northern territory. He is now widely considered by museums and collectors to be the most collectable Kuninjku artist from the area, second only to the great John Mawurndjul in innovation and influence. He is the brother of Mawurndjul?s wife Kay Lindjuwanga and the son of the late Peter Marralwanga who was a huge influence on both Samuel and Mawurndjul.

Founded in the 1940?s, the town of Maningrida is situated about an hour by small plane in Arnhemland east of Darwin. The area is one of great physical beauty situated by the sea with some of the best sunsets in the world.

I had the opportunity to visit Samuel Namunjdja at his house during a recent visit to Maningrida. The house is a couple of doors down from John Mawurndjul?s home in the area of town known as ?side camp.? (There is also ?bottom camp? and ?top camp.?)
I took the short walk to Samuel?s house from the arts centre and found him sitting on his front porch with an enormous hollow log propped up beside him. Samuel was wearing a straw fedora and had cut his hair short since I last saw him - in London in September 2007. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground as we chatted. The log had been well prepared with a smooth surface and was evenly primed with white. The first lines of raark in ochre had been applied at one end. The sheer scale of the log seemed to indicate that a potentially great work was in the making and the final result, in the current exhibition, is in my view one of the finest ?lorrkons? or ceremonial logs Samuel has ever produced.

The key story in Samuel?s mature works is ?Gungura? or wind dreaming, with some of the works also featuring a near geometric vertical section called ?Kalawan tracks?. This patchwork of ?raark? or crosshatching depicting the wind dreaming is unique to his work. A mature work by Samuel is immediately recognizable due to the colour sense and the design. The colour employs a combination of red and yellow ochres with the overall effect a unique hue of orange/ochre. This colour is absolutely unique in my experience to the work of Samuel.

The wind is depicted as a patchwork of white and ochre bands, somewhat geometric in execution but becoming more organic in feel due to the overall execution over the surface of the painting. Careful scrutiny reveals an individuality that clearly separates one work from the next. It is not formulaic but rather felt by the artist and encourages us as viewers to take away different sensations according to the work.

SPIRAL WIND is the title we have given to the group show of artists from Maningrida to accompany the solo exhibition of Samuel Namunjdja. The title does not refer so much to the content of the works that are rich and varied in the stories they depict, but rather as a metaphor for the explosive innovation and variation to emerge in Maningrida over the last few years. Artists include senior Kuninjku figures John Mawurndjul, Ivan Namirrki, Owen Yalandja, Timothy Walanjbirr, Kay Lindjuwanga and James Iyuna as well as younger artists who have already made their mark such as Irenie Ngalinba, Samson Bonson, Joy Garlbin, Aileena Lamanga and Elysse Cameron. Most of these artists were also featured in the critically acclaimed and commercially successful exhibition of Kuninjku art staged in London by Josh Lilley Fine Art in association with Maningrida Arts and Culture and Annandale Galleries in September 2007. Also in ?Spirit in Variation? parts one & two (catalogue available) at Annandale in late 2007 and early 2008. Magnificent works have been carefully chosen over the last year to demonstrate the continual innovation of this group of artists as well as the consolidation of their position as one of the most exciting contemporary art movements in Australia.

For further press, information or visuals please contact Annandale Galleries

* A FULL COLOUR 48 PAGE CATALOGUE IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

« Back to main press page



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