Ginger Riley Munduwalawala
Encyclopedia
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (circa 1937 – 1 September 2002) was an Australian contemporary artist. He was born in Arnhem Land
, in the domain of the Mara
people. Riley became an artist during the 1950s as a result of his encounter with Albert Namatjira
.
Riley was known for his distinctive style of using bright pallet to paint a landscape of Gulf of Carpentaria
, populated by mythological figures who created the region. His art is a fusion of "Aboriginal" and "contemporary". He was referred as "the boss of colour". Riley was awarded the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 1987, the Northern Territory's Alice Prize in 1992, John McCaughey Memorial Art Prize
in 1993, the first National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Commission Award in 1993 and an Australia Council Fellowship for 1997/98.
The National Gallery of Victoria
held a 10 year retrospective of his work in 1997. It was the first time a public institution in Australia honoured a living Aboriginal artist in this way.
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
, in the domain of the Mara
Marra language
Marra is an Australian Aboriginal language, traditionally spoken on an area of the Gulf of Carpentaria coast in the Northern Territory around the Roper, Towns and Limmen Rivers. Marra is now an endangered language. The most recent survey was in 1991; at that time, there were only 15 speakers, all...
people. Riley became an artist during the 1950s as a result of his encounter with Albert Namatjira
Albert Namatjira
Albert Namatjira , born Elea Namatjira, was an Australian artist. He was a Western Arrernte man, an Indigenous Australian of the Western MacDonnell Ranges area...
.
Riley was known for his distinctive style of using bright pallet to paint a landscape of Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
, populated by mythological figures who created the region. His art is a fusion of "Aboriginal" and "contemporary". He was referred as "the boss of colour". Riley was awarded the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 1987, the Northern Territory's Alice Prize in 1992, John McCaughey Memorial Art Prize
McCaughey Prize
The McCaughey Prize is an Australian art prize awarded to an artist or artists, under which the National Gallery of Victoria and the Art Gallery of New South Wales acquire work by the winning artist....
in 1993, the first National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Commission Award in 1993 and an Australia Council Fellowship for 1997/98.
The National Gallery of Victoria
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
held a 10 year retrospective of his work in 1997. It was the first time a public institution in Australia honoured a living Aboriginal artist in this way.
External links
- "Ginger Riley Munduwalawala: A Seeing Artist". Judith Ryan. Artlink