Bob Burruwal
Biography
“When I was a young man, I used to paint bark, make dancing belts, clap sticks and didjeridu. My parents were not artists. My father was a clever man. He taught me a lot of things about our way, our stories.” – Bob Burruwal
Bob Burruwal, born in 1952, is a celebrated Rembarrnga artist, who lives and works at Ankabarrbirri, an outstation, close to Maningrida. He performs an important role in ceremony and song with in his clan.
Burruwal along with his partner, Lena Yarinkura, have led the innovation in fibre art from Arnhem land which has received local and international critical acclaim for the better part of three decades.
Common subjects of his work include the wurlga, wurum (fish-increasing) and namorrorddo spirits. Since the early 1990’s his practice has extended into installation, creating scenes from stories handed down to him. Occasionally creating major installations with Lena Yarinkura, narrative is a key feature of his work. His 1994 collaboration with Yarinkura, ‘Family Drama’, won the prestigious Wandjuk Marika Memorial Three-Dimensional Award at the 11th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award.
Burruwal is also well know for his mako (didgeridoo), prized for the artist’s fine selection of wood and their resulting acoustics.
His work has also appeared in numerous solo & group exhibitions and in major institutional shows nationally and internationally. His work in held in public and private collections around the world.
Lena Yarinkura and Bob Burruwal in the unDisclosed installation, NGA. Image credit: NGA
Past Exhibitions
Group
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2018 BOB BURRUWAL & LENA YARINKURA: KUNKAMAK NGARRWONENG – OUR HOUSE OF CULTURE, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
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2018 Barring-bul (Many Walks), Trinity Gallery, University of Melbourne
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2017 Tarnanthi, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, SA
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2017 White Ochre, FORM, Perth, Australia
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2017 34th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Arts Awards, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
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2016 Salon16, Charles Darwin University Art Gallery, Darwin, NT
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2016 Today Tomorrow Yesterday, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW
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2016 Owen Yalandja, Bob Burruwal, Jack Nawilil: New Yawkyawk Spirits and Sculptures, Annandale Gallery, Sydney, Australia
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2016 Luminous World: Contemporary Art from the Wesfarmers Collection, National Art School Gallery, Canberra, ACT
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2014 Maningrida, Paul Johnstone Gallery, Darwin, NT
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2014 Barks, Spirit Figures, Lorrkon and Ceremonial Poles, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
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2012 unDisclosed: 2nd National Indigenous Art Triennial, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT
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2012 Dream Catchers, Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney
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2012 Maningrida Group Show, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
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2011 The Dreaming Changes Shape, Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, Australia
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2010 Best of Maningrida, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, Australia
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2010 Lena Yarinkura and Bob Burruwal, Framed Gallery, Darwin, Australia
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2010 Gungamuk - Bob Burruwal & Lena Yarinkura, Sheahan Galleries, Sydney, NSW
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2009 Orche - A Study in Materiality, Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
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2008 Maningrida Survey, Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
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2008 Interwoven, Indigenart, Perth, WA
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2008 Palya Art at Mary Place, Mary Place, Sydney, NSW
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2006 Peter Bailie Art Award, Flinders University City Gallery, Adelaide, SA
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2005 22nd National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Arts Awards, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
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2004 Bob Burruwal & Lena Yarinkura, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
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2004 Maningrida Recent Works, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
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2004 Maningrida Fibre, Bandigan art, Sydney, NSW
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2004 Fibre and sculptures, Indigenart, Fremantle, WA, Indigenart, Fremantle, WA
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2004 Divas of the Desert:Maningrida, Minymaku, Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs, NT
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2003 Next Generation, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
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2003 An exhibition of Rembarrnga artists, Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
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2003 The Visit, Annandale galleries, Sydney, NSW
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2003 Artists in Residence Exhibition, Coomalie Cultural Centre, NT
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2003 Organic forms in fibre, Organic forms in fibre, Aboriginal and Pacific Arts, Sydney, NSW
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2003 Dreamtime, contemorary aboriginal art, Cankarjev Dom Ljubljana, Slovenia
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2003 Maningrida Threads, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW
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2002 Spirit of Arnhemland, Redback Art Gallery, Qld
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2002 Barks in the spotlight, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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2002 Wild nature in contemporary Australian art and craft, Jam Factory, Adelaide, SA
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2002 Frisson, 14th Tamworth Fibre Textile Biennal, Manly, NSW
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2001 Arnhem Land Carvings and Bark Paintings, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
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2001 Vital fluids, Helen Maxwell Gallery, Canberra, ACT
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2001 18th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
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2001 Out of the Mould: An exhibition of first works in bronze and aluminium, Gallery Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
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2000 Maningrida, Framed Gallery, Darwin, NT
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1999 My Country: Australische Aboriginal Kunst, Brandweer Kazerne, Utrecht, Netherlands
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1999 Organic Forms, Aboriginal and Pacific Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW
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1998 Pandanus and Paperbark, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
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1998 Spirits of the Dreaming Jarraman Arts Aboriginal Corporation,, National Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Sydney, NSW
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1998 Armlinks, Armlinks Touring Australia
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1997 Circles About the Body, University of Tasmania, Travelling Exhibition
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1997 Metamorphosis, Venice Biennale Palazzo Papadopoli, Venice, Italy
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1997 14th Telstra National Aboriginal and Tores Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
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1996 Spirits of the Dreaming, Raintree Fine Art Gallery, Darwin, NT
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1996 Dreaming: Aboriginal Art from Australia, Galerie Kouwenhoven, Delft, Netherlands
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1996 The Language of Place, The Language of Place Framed Gallery, Darwin, NT
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1996 Journey of the Birds, Raintree Fine Art Gallery, Darwin, NT
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1996 Maningrida Exhibition, Indigenart, Subiaco, WA
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1995 Maningrida:The Language of Weaving, A.E.T.A Touring Exhibition throughout Australia and New Zealand
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1990 Contemporary Aboriginal Art 1990 From Australia, Third Eye Centre, Glasgow, Scotland; toured to Swansea and Manchester, UK
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1989 Survey of Aboriginal Art: Bark Paintings, The Bloomfield Galleries, Paddington, NSW
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1989 The Sixth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
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1982 Aboriginal Art at the Top, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
Collections
- Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
- Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Australia
- National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
- Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia
- Walonia Aboriginal Art, The Netherlands
- Aimee Proost private collection, Australia
- Helen Read Collection, Darwin, Australia
- Museum of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
- Musee des Confluences, Lyon
- Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Museum D'Histoire Naturelle de Lyon, France
- National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia