- Artist: Malaluba Gumana
- Art Centre: Buku Larrnggay Mulka
- Region: Arnhem Land
Artwork Story
Malaluba has seven children, four daughters and three sons. She grew up in Numbulwar and moved to Yirrkala as a young mother. Her father was Gumuk Gumana, her mother was Marratj Gurruwiwi. She moved in with them to Gangan early in the homeland movement and has lived there ever since.
A very fine exponent of marwat- the cross hatching technique using a ‘hair brush’. Malaluba mainly paints her mother’s Gålpu clan designs of dhatam (waterlilly), djari (rainbow), djayku\ (filesnake) and wititj (olive python).
From 2006 onwards her art centre encouraged her to produce larger and more complex works to fully explore her fluid and spontaneous hand. She embraced this opportunity wholeheartedly and tapped a vein of prolific production. An exhibition of her bark and hollow logs sold out in July 2008 at Niagara Galleries in Melbourne. This was followed by successful exhibitions at Cross Art Projects and Seva Frangos Gallery in Sydney and Perth respectively. Her larrakitj were on permanent display in the AGNSW through 2011. She featured at the Annandale Galleries solo show Prism in 2012. Her win in the 2013 NATSIAA Best Bark category signalled the recognition of her talent by a wider audience.
Exhibitions:
2005 Ngann Girra Festival Albury Regional Museum
2007 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Museum and Art Gallery of the NT,Darwin.
2007, Galuku Gallery, Festival of Darwin, NT
2007, Bukulu\thunmi – Coming Together, One Place, Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT
2008, March, Niagara Galleries, ‘Blue Chip X – Collectors Exhibition’ Melbourne, Vic
2008, Outside Inside – bark and hollow logs from Yirrkala, Bett Gallery Hobart, Tas
2008, Garrimala – Bark paintings and Memorial Poles, Niagara Galleries, Richmond Vic.
2008 25th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Museum and Art Gallery of the NT, Darwin, NT
2008, Gapan Gallery – Bendt Prints, Garma Festival Site, Gulkula, NT.
2008, Galuku Gallery – berndt Prints, Darwin Festival, Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT
2008 A Few Real Gems I Have Come Across, Mogo Raw Art and Blues, Mogo, NSW
2008 New Generations Yirrkala artists, Creative Economy, Brisbane
2009 Larrakitj – the Kerry Stokes Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, WA
2009 After Berndt – Indigenart – Mossenson Gallery, Perth, WA
2009 ‘Diamonds and Rainbows’ Larrakitj and Bark Paintings of Garrilmala, Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT
2010, 17th Biennale of Sydney, ‘Larrakitj ‘- the Kerry Stokes Collection, Museum on Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW
2010 Yalari Auction
2010 Art and Soul AGNSW
2011 Miyalk-Women Feminine art from Yirrkala Framed Gallery Darwin
2011 Rite of Spring / Rrarrandharr Malaluba solo show Cross Art Projects Sydney
2011 Malaluba solo show Seva Frangos Gallery Perth
2012 Prism Annandale Galleries
2012 Gan’yu Gallery, Darwin Festival
2013 NATSIAA MAGNT Darwin
2014 – Gapan Gallery GARMA Festival, Northeast Arnhem Land, NT
2015 Mother to Daughter: On Art and Caring For Homelands Exhibition Cross Arts Sydney
Collections:
Woodside Energy Ltd. Art Collection
National Gallery of Australia
Estate of Kerry Packer
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Larrakitj Collection of Kerry Stokes
© Buku Larrnggay Mulka