Made by Burarra artists of Central West Arnhem Land, Mun-dirra, 2023, is a one hundred metre long, multi-panel artwork that invites audiences inside, using the woven form to tell a powerful story of matrilineal knowledge transference, and how Burarra people have lived sustainably with the land for generations.
Join artists Doreen Jinggarrabarra and Freda Wayartja, who took part in the creation of this work in conversation with NGV Senior Curator Myles Russell-Cook and learn about their deep understanding of the natural world, defined by sustainability, and their knowledge of how to work with materials collected from Country.
About the speakers
The Community of Maningrida in Central West Arnhem Land has long been home to a rich and vibrant cultural heritage, with a particular strength in the tradition of weaving. For generations, Burarra people have been creating beautiful and intricate an-guchechiya (fish trap), Burlupurr (bathi or dilly bags), Bamagora (conical mat / women’s skirt used for ceremony), as well as many other woven items. Burarra women from Maningrida use natural materials such as gun-menama (pandanus leaves), burdaga (kurrajong), and various bark fibres to produce their work. In 2021, NGV through the Lisa Fox Commissions Series commissioned one of most impressive examples of fibre art undertaken, the largest woven sculpture ever produced in Australia, Mun-dirra (2023).
Myles Russell-Cook is the Senior Curator of Australian and First Nations Art at the National Gallery of Victoria.