James Iyuna (dec)
Biography
James Iyuna was a Kuninjku artist of the Dhuwa moiety. Painting mostly on bark and carved wood his major subjects were the myths and legends associated with the Kuninjku spirit world. Iyuna was the son of the renowned fish trap maker, Anchor Kalunba, and learned to weave with jungle vine to make traps and nets when he was young.
Iyuna and along with his many other siblings (including John Mawurndjul, Jimmy Njiminjuma and Susan Marawarr) had very little Western education because of the difficulty of getting to schools in Oenpelli or Maningrida from their home at the Mumeka outstation. Instead, he learnt the traditional art and culture of his Kuninjku clan from his uncles, including acclaimed bark painter Peter Marralwanga.
Over time he developed his own iconic style and a school of art guided by him emerged at Mumeka outstation. Iyuna regularly exhibited interstate and overseas. In 2006 he and his wife Melba Gunjarrwanga were commissioned to create a public art project for the Darwin Entertainment Centre. They created a ceiling structure for the 240-square-meter verandah area, inspired by kunkale wobe (traditional fish net fences) and constructed out of copper wire. They drew on their skills as weavers to design and construct the installation.
In the later years of his life he exhibited large bodies of work with his wife at leading galleries including Alcaston in Melbourne and Annandale in Sydney. His work is held in held in major public and private collections including the National Gallery of Australia, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Art Gallery of New South Wales and Walonia Aboriginal Art in the Netherlands.
His legacy continues through the work of the next generations including his neices, Deborah Wurrkidj, Jennifer Wurrkidj and his grand children, Apphia Wurrkidj, Elias Wurrkidj and Pam Wurrkidj.
Past Exhibitions
Group
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2019 Bukkan Rowk – ‘I am teaching you’ THE CONTINUING TRADITION OF BALANG JAMES IYUNA, Outstation Gallery
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2014 Barks, Spirit Figures, Lorrkon and Ceremonial Poles, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
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2014 Spirits, Paul Johnstone Gallery, Darwin, NT
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2013 Vivid Memories: An Aboriginal Art History, Musée d’Aquitaine, Bordeaux, France
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2012 New Work from Maningrida, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
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2011 28th Telstra National Aboriginal Art Award, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
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2011 Bark Paintings 1930-2000 - And New Works from Bula Bula, Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, NSW
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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 Maningrida - New works from Arnhem Land, Gallery Ecosse, Exeter, Australia
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2009 Salt and Stone 2: Art Centres of Arnhem Land and Tiwi Islands, Crossarts Projects, Sydney, NSW
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2008 James Iyuna & Melba Gunjarrwanga, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
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2008 Gungura - The Spiraling Wind, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
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2008 Maningrida Art, Chapman Gallery, Canberra, Art, Chapman Gallery, Canberra
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2008 Maningrida Survey, Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
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2008 Recent works from Maningrida, Chapman Gallery, Canberra, ACT
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2008 African Muse, Ecorces recentes de Maningrida, Galerie Luc Bertier, Paris, France
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2007 24th Telstra National & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
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2007 Lorrkon, Spirit Beings, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
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2007 James Iyuna & Melba Gunjarrwanga, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne,VIC
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2007 Spirit in Variation, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
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2007 Selected new works from Maningrida, Maningrida Arts & Culture, Darwin
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2007 Spirit in Variation Part II, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
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2007 rarrk, Rarrk- london-, Bargehouse Gallery, London, UK
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2006 23rd Telstra National & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
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2006 Sculptures from Maningrida, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
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2006 Dream Tracks, Aboriginal art of Arnhem Land, La Fontaine Centre of Contemporay Art, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
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2006 A survey show from Maningrida, Raft artspace, Darwin, NT
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2006 Maningrida, Short Stree Gallery, Broome, WA
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2006 Mumeka to Milmilngkan, Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra, ACT
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2006 Lorrkons and Spirit Figures, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
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2005 Lorrkons and Spirit Figures, Aboriginal & Pacific Art, Sydney, NSW
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2005 Rarrk, flowing on from Crossing Country, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
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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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2005 Rarrk, Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT
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2005 After Crossing Country, a survey bark exhibition, Indigenart, Perth, WA
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2005 Bark paintings and carvings from Maningrida, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
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2005 Aboriginal vision in Contemporary Australian Art, Wright exhibition space, Seattle, USA
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2004 Crossing Country - The alchemy of Western Arnhem Land art, AGNSW, Sydney, NSW
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2004 Bark Paintings, Carvings and Fibre Works from Maningrida, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
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2004 21st Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Museum & Art Gallery of Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
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2004 James Iyuna & Melba Gunjarrwanga, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
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2004 Kokok - Older brothers from the Kurulk clan, Aboriginal & Pacific Art Gallery, Sydney NSW
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2004 Likanmirri - Connections: The AIATSIS Collection of Art, Drill Hall Galley, Canberra
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2003 Next Generation, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
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2003 The Visit, Annandale galleries, Sydney, NSW
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2003 Out of the wet -new art by Kuninjku artists-, Framed gallery, Darwin, NT
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2003 Dreamtime, Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Cankarjev Dom Ljubljana, Slovenia
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2003 Maningrida Threads, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW
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2003 Mythological Beings from Maningrida, Hogarth Galleris, Sydney, NSW
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2002 Barks in the spotlight, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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2002 19th Telstra National & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
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2001 Arnhem Land Carvings and Bark Paintings, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
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2001 Outside in: Research Engagements with Arnhem Land Art, Drill Hall Gallery, Australian National University, 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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2000 Biennale Of Sydney 2000, Biennale Of Sydney, various venues at various location, NSW
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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 Fighting for Culture, Culture Indigenart, Perth, WA
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1999 Spirit Country: Australian Aboriginal Art from the Gantner Myer Collection,, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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1997 Metamorphosis, Gallery Pizzi at Venice Biennale Palazzo Papadopoli, Venice, Italy
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1996 Spirits of the Dreaming, Raintree, Raintree Fine Art Gallery, Darwin, NT
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1996 Copyrites: Aboriginal Art in the Age of Reproductive Technologies, Art Gallery of New South Wales, NSW
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1996 Dreaming: Aboriginal Art from Australia, Galerie Kouwenhoven, Delft, Netherlands
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1995 Maningrida, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
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1995 Stories My Parents Sang, Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, NT
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1995 12th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
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1995 Snakes and Serpents, 24 Hour Art, Darwin, NT
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1995 Crossing Border: Contemporary Australian Textile Art, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Kansas City, Missouri, Touring USA
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1994 Maningrida Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW
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1991 The Eighth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
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1990 Spirit in Land Bark Paintings from Arnhem Land, Spirit in Land Bark Paintings from Arnhem Land National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
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1990 Keepers of the Secret: Aboriginal Art from Arnhemland, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, WA
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1990 Painted Ship, Painted Oceans, S. H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney, NSW
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1989 Kunwinjku, Deutscher Gertrude Street, Melbourne, VIC
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1988 Gunwinggu Artists, Beaufort Convention Centre, Darwin, NT
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1988 The Fifth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
Collections
- Aimee Proost private collection, Qld
- Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, WA
- Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Canberra, ACT
- David Betz private collection, New York, USA
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Maningrida Collection, Sydney, NSW
- National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
- National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, Sydney, NSW
- Walonia Aboriginal Art, Netherlands
- AIATSIS Collection, ACT
- Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
- Museum of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
- ANU Collection, Canberra, ACT
- Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, VIC
- Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
- Laverty Collection, Sydney, NSW