Serena Bonson
Biography
Born in Miwirnbi, Serena Bonson lives and works in Manigrida community in the Northern Territory. Her heritage is of Djowinge moiety, the Djinang language group and she is part of the Murrungun clan. Bonson has quickly become known for her striking carvings in stringybark painted in black and white to depict the Wangarra spirits. The Wangarra play a key role in the stories of Bonson’s community relating to death, birth and the transition of the spirit into the afterlife, and in rebirth. They are considered indicative of ancestral beings and deeply connected to the waterholes that are central to the stories of the clan and their connections to land.
Artworks for sale
Past Exhibitions
Solo
- 2015
Wangarra, ALASKA Projects, Sydney, NSW
Group
- 2024
Sydney Contemporary, Michael Reid Gallery, Sydney NSW
- 2024
Warraburnburn, Hugo Michell Gallery, Adelaide SA
- 2023
Sydney Contemporary, Michael Reid Gallery, Sydney NSW
- 2023
Maningrida Arts, Michael Reid Southern Highlands, Berrima NSW
- 2023
Delek & Kunyirrke (White Clay & Charcoal), Agency Projects, Collingwood, VIC
- 2022
Infinities, Goulburn Regional Art Gallery
- 2022
2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art ‘Free/State’, Art Gallery of South Australia
- 2020
Infinities, Goulburn Regional Gallery, Goulburn, NSW
- 2020
Maningrida Arts & Culture, Michael Reid, Sydney, NSW
- 2020
RESILIENCE: The power of the past today – Maningrida, Aboriginal Signature Estrangin Fine Art, Brussels, BELGUIM
- 2019
Tarnanthi Art Fair, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide
- 2019
Tarnanthi Art Fair 2019, AGSA
- 2018
From Coast to Escarpment: Spirit Worlds of Maningrida, Michael Reid, Sydney, NSW
- 2014
Four Spirits from Maningrida, FireWorks Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
Collections
- Artbank, Sydney, Australia