Melba Gunjarrwanga

Biography

Kuninjku artist, Melba Gunjarrwanga, was born in 1959 at Maningrida in the Northern Territory. Melba is a skilled printmaker, sculptor, weaver and bark painter represented by both the Bábbarra Women’s Centre and Maningrida Arts and Culture.

Over the last decade, Melba has taken part in multiple group exhibition across Australia and the world and her works have been presented by Maningrida Arts and Culture and within their collective shows. Her work is also held in the collections of Art Gallery of Western Australia, Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Victoria and National Gallery of Australia and The Australian National University Collection. Melba has also featured as one of the emerging artists in a group exhibition, Báb-barra: Women’s Printing Culture at The Cross Art Projects (2017) 

Languages

Kuninjku

Community

Maningrida

Date of birth

1959-01-01

Clan

Dangkorlo

Artworks


Past Exhibitions

Group

  • 2022
    Top End Bugi, Koskela Gallery Rosebery
  • 2020
    Tarnanthi Art Fair, Lot Fourteen, Adelaide SA
  • 2020
    Top End Bugi, Koskela, Sydney, NSW
  • 2020
    Kunmadj - Woven Objects, Japingka, Perth, WA
  • 2019
    Tarnanthi Art Fair, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide
  • 2019
    Tarnanthi Art Fair 2019, AGSA
  • 2019
    Bukkan Rowk: I am teaching you, Outstation Gallery, Parap
  • 2019
    Bukkan Rowk – ‘I am teaching you’ THE CONTINUING TRADITION OF BALANG JAMES IYUNA, Outstation Gallery
  • 2017
    Karridjowkke Kunronj (Crossing Streams), Nomad Art, Darwin, NT
  • 2017
    Karridjowkke Kunronj (Crossing Streams), Nomad Art, Darwin, NT
  • 2009
    Sculptures, Josh Lilley Fine Art, National Geographic Store, London, UK
  • 2008
    Iyuna & Melba Gunjarrwanga, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2008
    "Gungura - The Spiraling Wind”, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2008
    Maningrida Arts, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2008
    Maningrida survey show, Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
  • 2008
    Ecorces recentes de Maningrida, Galerie Luc Bertier, Paris, France
  • 2008
    Palya Art at Mary Place, Mary Place, Sydney, NSW
  • 2007
    James Iyuna & Melba Gunjarrwanga, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne,VIC
  • 2007
    Spirit in Variation Part II, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2007
    rarrk, Bargehouse Gallery, London, UK
  • 2007
    Selected new works from Maningrida, Maningrida Arts & Culture, Darwin
  • 2007
    Maningrida group show, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2007
    Bark paintings from Maningrida, Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
  • 2007
    Lorrkon, Spirit Beings, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2006
    Lorrkons and Spirit Figures, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2006
    Maningrida, Short Stree Gallery, Broome, WA
  • 2006
    Dream stories, The Bahrain Art Society, Kingdom of Bahrain
  • 2006
    Dream Tracks, Aboriginal art of Arnhem Land, La Fontaine Centre of Contemporay Art, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
  • 2006
    Sculptures from Maningrida, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2006
    Mumeka to Milmilngkan, Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra, ACT
  • 2005
    Bark paintings and carvings from Maningrida, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2005
    Recent works from Maningrida, Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
  • 2005
    Rarrk, Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT
  • 2005
    22nd National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Arts Awards, MAGNT, Darwin, NT
  • 2005
    New works from Maningrida, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, UK
  • 2004
    Crossing country: the alchemy of western Arnhem Land art, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
  • 2004
    Bark paintings, carvings and fibre works from Maningrida, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2004
    Maningrida Recent Works, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2004
    James Iyuna & Melba Gunjarrwanga, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2003
    Maningrida Threads, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW
  • 2003
    Threads of time, Burrinja gallery, Upwey, VIC
  • 2003
    Next Generation, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2003
    Bark paintings, sculpture and fibre work by the Maningrida women artists, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2003
    Dreamtime, contemorary aboriginal art, Cankarjev Dom Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • 2000
    Land mark : mirror mark, University of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Touring regional centres
  • 1999
    Organic Forms, Aboriginal and Pacific Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW
  • 1999
    Bushcolour: Works on paper by female artists from the Maningrida region, Northern Territory University Gallery, Darwin, NT

Collections

  • Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, WA
  • Museum of Contemporary Art, Maningrida Collection, Sydney, NSW
  • National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT
  • Museum of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
  • ANU Collection, Canberra, ACT