The legacy of those Kuninjku leaders and renowned artists in Maningrida, who led the 1970s outstation movement to the west of Maningrida, Peter Marralwanga, Mick Kubarkku, Anchor Kulunba, Crusoe Kuningbal is presented in this exhibition. It is seen through the art practice of their children, acclaimed artists in their own right: Ivan Namirrkki, Paul Nabulumo, John Mawurndjul and Owen Yalandja.

Outstation Gallery and Maningrida Arts & Culture (MAC) started to conceive this show around 18 months ago. The thematic for the exhibition, ‘Outstation’, was derived from conversations with Matt Ward the gallery director, senior Maningrida custodians and artists and the MAC team.

With the gallery’s 10th anniversary approaching, Matt Ward, the Director of Outstation who was a teacher in Maningrida for a long time and who also ran the MAC Darwin gallery for a period was keen to work with Maningrida artists and celebrate a shared history. In recent years, member artists of the centre have been focused, with vigilance, on maintaining and sometimes rebuilding their capacity to live on kunred (country). Listening to the call for greater support and servicing of the historical outstation movement informed this partnership and development of this exhibition.

Whilst we have chosen Outstation for the title of this exhibition, it could easily be called Kunred Kadberre meaning ‘our place’ or ‘our country’ in Kuninjku, or another commonly used term, homelands.

An exhibiting artist since 2000, this is the rst time a large body of Paul Nabulumo’s work has been shown together, here complimented by the work of senior artists. This show speaks to the power and importance of outstations, homelands and country in the landscape of Australian Indigenous art practice.

Participating Artists

• 
  John Mawurndjul

  0 artworks
• 
  Paul Namarinjmak

  3 artworks