James Iyuna (dec)

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.

Languages

Kuninjku

Community

Maningrida

Date of birth

1959-01-01

Clan

Kurulk

Past Exhibitions

Group

  • 2019
    Bukkan Rowk – ‘I am teaching you’ THE CONTINUING TRADITION OF BALANG JAMES IYUNA, Outstation Gallery
  • 2014
    Barks, Spirit Figures, Lorrkon and Ceremonial Poles, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2014
    Spirits, Paul Johnstone Gallery, Darwin, NT
  • 2013
    Vivid Memories: An Aboriginal Art History, Musée d’Aquitaine, Bordeaux, France
  • 2012
    New Work from Maningrida, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2011
    28th Telstra National Aboriginal Art Award, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
  • 2011
    Bark Paintings 1930-2000 - And New Works from Bula Bula, Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, NSW
  • 2011
    The Dreaming Changes Shape, Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, Australia
  • 2010
    Best of Maningrida, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, Australia
  • 2010
    Maningrida - New works from Arnhem Land, Gallery Ecosse, Exeter, Australia
  • 2009
    Salt and Stone 2: Art Centres of Arnhem Land and Tiwi Islands, Crossarts Projects, Sydney, NSW
  • 2008
    James Iyuna & Melba Gunjarrwanga, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2008
    Gungura - The Spiraling Wind, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2008
    Maningrida Art, Chapman Gallery, Canberra, Art, Chapman Gallery, Canberra
  • 2008
    Maningrida Survey, Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
  • 2008
    Recent works from Maningrida, Chapman Gallery, Canberra, ACT
  • 2008
    African Muse, Ecorces recentes de Maningrida, Galerie Luc Bertier, Paris, France
  • 2007
    24th Telstra National & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
  • 2007
    Lorrkon, Spirit Beings, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2007
    James Iyuna & Melba Gunjarrwanga, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne,VIC
  • 2007
    Spirit in Variation, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2007
    Selected new works from Maningrida, Maningrida Arts & Culture, Darwin
  • 2007
    Spirit in Variation Part II, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2007
    rarrk, Rarrk- london-, Bargehouse Gallery, London, UK
  • 2006
    23rd Telstra National & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
  • 2006
    Sculptures from Maningrida, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2006
    Dream Tracks, Aboriginal art of Arnhem Land, La Fontaine Centre of Contemporay Art, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
  • 2006
    A survey show from Maningrida, Raft artspace, Darwin, NT
  • 2006
    Maningrida, Short Stree Gallery, Broome, WA
  • 2006
    Mumeka to Milmilngkan, Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra, ACT
  • 2006
    Lorrkons and Spirit Figures, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2005
    Lorrkons and Spirit Figures, Aboriginal & Pacific Art, Sydney, NSW
  • 2005
    Rarrk, flowing on from Crossing Country, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2005
    22nd National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Arts Awards, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
  • 2005
    Rarrk, Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT
  • 2005
    After Crossing Country, a survey bark exhibition, Indigenart, Perth, WA
  • 2005
    Bark paintings and carvings from Maningrida, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2005
    Aboriginal vision in Contemporary Australian Art, Wright exhibition space, Seattle, USA
  • 2004
    Crossing Country - The alchemy of Western Arnhem Land art, AGNSW, Sydney, NSW
  • 2004
    Bark Paintings, Carvings and Fibre Works from Maningrida, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2004
    21st Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Museum & Art Gallery of Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
  • 2004
    James Iyuna & Melba Gunjarrwanga, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2004
    Kokok - Older brothers from the Kurulk clan, Aboriginal & Pacific Art Gallery, Sydney NSW
  • 2004
    Likanmirri - Connections: The AIATSIS Collection of Art, Drill Hall Galley, Canberra
  • 2003
    Next Generation, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2003
    The Visit, Annandale galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2003
    Out of the wet -new art by Kuninjku artists-, Framed gallery, Darwin, NT
  • 2003
    Dreamtime, Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Cankarjev Dom Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • 2003
    Maningrida Threads, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW
  • 2003
    Mythological Beings from Maningrida, Hogarth Galleris, Sydney, NSW
  • 2002
    Barks in the spotlight, Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • 2002
    19th Telstra National & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
  • 2001
    Arnhem Land Carvings and Bark Paintings, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2001
    Outside in: Research Engagements with Arnhem Land Art, Drill Hall Gallery, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT
  • 2001
    18th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
  • 2000
    Biennale Of Sydney 2000, Biennale Of Sydney, various venues at various location, NSW
  • 2000
    Maningrida, Framed Gallery, Darwin, NT
  • 1999
    My Country: Australische Aboriginal Kunst, Brandweer Kazerne, Utrecht, Netherlands
  • 1999
    Fighting for Culture, Culture Indigenart, Perth, WA
  • 1999
    Spirit Country: Australian Aboriginal Art from the Gantner Myer Collection,, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
  • 1997
    Metamorphosis, Gallery Pizzi at Venice Biennale Palazzo Papadopoli, Venice, Italy
  • 1996
    Spirits of the Dreaming, Raintree, Raintree Fine Art Gallery, Darwin, NT
  • 1996
    Copyrites: Aboriginal Art in the Age of Reproductive Technologies, Art Gallery of New South Wales, NSW
  • 1996
    Dreaming: Aboriginal Art from Australia, Galerie Kouwenhoven, Delft, Netherlands
  • 1995
    Maningrida, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
  • 1995
    Stories My Parents Sang, Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, NT
  • 1995
    12th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
  • 1995
    Snakes and Serpents, 24 Hour Art, Darwin, NT
  • 1995
    Crossing Border: Contemporary Australian Textile Art, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Kansas City, Missouri, Touring USA
  • 1994
    Maningrida Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW
  • 1991
    The Eighth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
  • 1990
    Spirit in Land Bark Paintings from Arnhem Land, Spirit in Land Bark Paintings from Arnhem Land National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
  • 1990
    Keepers of the Secret: Aboriginal Art from Arnhemland, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, WA
  • 1990
    Painted Ship, Painted Oceans, S. H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney, NSW
  • 1989
    Kunwinjku, Deutscher Gertrude Street, Melbourne, VIC
  • 1988
    Gunwinggu Artists, Beaufort Convention Centre, Darwin, NT
  • 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