Deborah Wurrkidj

Deborah Wurrkidj

Biography

Deborah Wurrkidj was born in 1971 at Maningrida in north-central Arnhem Land. Her language is Kuninjku and her moiety is Duwa. Deborah is well known for her fibre weaving, bark painting, woodcarving and printmaking.

Deborah is a versatile artist who has readily adapted to new art forms while retaining strong clan traditions. Her work is tactile and intricate and illustrates the artistic innovation that has occurred in Maningrida over the last 30 years.

Alongside her highly regarded fine art practice Deborah, with her mother, Helen Lanyinwanga, and sister Jennifer Wurrkidj has been working at Bábbarra Designs since 1991. She is a leading textile artist and an integral member of Bábbarra Women’s Centre.

Deborah has exhibited nationally including the 19th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 2020 and is represented in a number of state and private collections. In 2019 she was one of five artists who travelled with the Bàbbarra Women’s Centre to Paris, France for the opening of Jarracharra: Dry Season Wind. In 2023 she travelled to India as the internationally touring Jarracharra exhibition was opening. During this trip Deborah met with local artisans and experimented with translating her designs into traditional Indian woodblock printing. 

Languages

Kuninjku

Community

Maningrida

Date of birth

1971-03-10

Clan

Kurulk

Artworks


Past Exhibitions

Group

  • 2022
    Northern Waters, Short St Gallery Broome
  • 2022
    Spirit in Bark, Koskela Gallery Rosebery
  • 2022
    Thread Count, Agency Projects & Padre Coffee
  • 2021
    Spirit Worlds: Contemporary Works from Maningrida, Michael Reid Berlin
  • 2021
    Lineage, Delmar Gallery, Ashfield NSW
  • 2020
    Tarnanthi Art Fair, Lot Fourteen, Adelaide SA
  • 2020
    Resilience – The Power of the Past Reverberates Today, Aboriginal Signature Estrangin Gallery
  • 2020
    RESILIENCE: The power of the past today - Maningrida, Aboriginal Signature Estrangin Fine Art, Brussels, BELGUIM
  • 2020
    Tiwi Islands to Arnhem Land
  • 2019
    Tarnanthi Art Fair 2019, AGSA
  • 2019
    Bukkan Rowk – ‘I am teaching you’ THE CONTINUING TRADITION OF BALANG JAMES IYUNA, Outstation Gallery
  • 2018
    From Coast to Escarpment: Spirit Worlds of Maningrida, Michael Reid, Sydney, NSW
  • 2018
    Ngaldjorlhbo | Mother of Everything | Mère de Toute Création, IDAIA, Paris, France
  • 2018
    Karrang Kunred: Motherland, Cross Art Projects, Sydney, NSW
  • 2017
    Karridjowkke Kunronj (Crossing Streams), Nomad Art, Darwin, NT
  • 2014
    Barks, Spirit Figures, Lorrkon and Ceremonial Poles, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2010
    Replant: a new generation of botanical art, National touring exhibition, curated by Nomad Arts, Darwin, NT
  • 2009
    Orche - A Study in Materiality, Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
  • 2009
    Fibre & Rarrk - Marina Murdilnga & Debra Wurrkidj, Vivian Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2009
    Sculpture Show, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
  • 2009
    26th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
  • 2009
    Works in Season: Bark Paintings, Carvings & Weavings, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2009
    During the Wet, Hemphill Fine Arts, Washington, USA
  • 2009
    Ancestral Spirit Beings and Ceremonial Lorrkon, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2009
    Survey from Maningrida Arts & Culture, The Mossenson Gallery, Perth, WA
  • 2008
    Weaving around the Traps, Chapman & Bailey, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2008
    Recent works from Maningrida, Chapman Gallery, Canberra, ACT
  • 2008
    Womens show, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2008
    African Muse, Ecorces recentes de Maningrida, Galerie Luc Bertier, Paris, France
  • 2008
    Maningrida Arising, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2008
    Maningrida Art, Chapman Gallery, Canberra
  • 2008
    25th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
  • 2007
    Spirit in Variation Part II, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2007
    Bark Paintings from Maningrida, Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
  • 2006
    Cross-section - a collection of prints from NTU stockroom, NTU, Darwin, NT
  • 2005
    Paris-Djinkarr-Milmilngkan, Maningrida Arts & Culture, Darwin, NT
  • 2004
    Crossing Country - The alchemy of Western Arnhem Land art, AGNSW, Sydney, NSW
  • 2003
    Weave, NTU Gallery, Darwin, NT
  • 2003
    Weave, Federation Centre for the Arts, Bundoora Homestead, VIC
  • 2002
    Maningrida Fibre, Redback Art Gallery, QLD
  • 2002
    19th Telstra National & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
  • 2001
    Good Colour : prints from Maningrida Womens Centre, Raft Artspace, Darwin

Collections

  • Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
  • Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, SA
  • Artbank, Sydney, Australia