Yolŋu power: the art of Yirrkala explores First Nations' worldview in hopes of promoting shared understanding

Australia Broadcast Center

21-06-2025

Hundreds of traditional artworks, connecting generations of remote First Nations communities for almost a century, are now part of a public showcase in Sydney.
Yolŋu power: the art of Yirrkala opened at the Art Gallery of New South Wales this weekend, bringing together almost 300 pieces created by 98 Aboriginal artists over eight decades.
The pieces are from parts of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, and include an array of mediums such as bark painting, drawing, video, print, sculpture — both wooden and metal — and immersive installations.
Cara Pinchbeck, a senior curator at the gallery, said the artworks have helped explain the First Nations' worldview "as a form of cultural diplomacy" for more than 90 years, in hopes of bringing people together through shared understanding.
She explained Yirrkala art-making had centred on an "invitation to walk together" since creators first began sharing their work with non-Aboriginal people in the mid-1930s.
"One particular individual, who I was interviewing one day, said 'they're amazing, beautiful works, but no one appreciates … how important they are in terms of documenting our law,'" she said.
"The main thing to take from all of these works is the generosity of the artists in constantly sharing with us their cultural knowledge [and] connection to Country.
Ms Pinchbeck said the way art styles have historically adapted in response to changing social, cultural, and political circumstances had formed a key part of the exhibition.
Bingyu Warripanda, chair of the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre in Yirrkala, said storytelling through art dated back to Australia's colonisation, with bark paintings and designs drawn in sand used to communicate beyond language barriers.
"It is really important to share this, Australia."
Maud Page, director of the gallery, described the showcase as "not only aesthetically breathtaking", but "incredibly powerful" in mapping history.
She said the exhibition was "a really significant landmark" that shared "Australia's most internationally acclaimed arts community" with the public.
"The exhibition is a testament to the strength and sovereignty of Yolŋu artists," Ms Page said.
Wurrandan Marawili, from the Maḏarrpa clan, encouraged people from all walks of life to journey together "for a better future" and said his art was driven by a desire to help the world understand "Yolŋu power".
His sculpture was welded together over several months, repurposing materials collected from the rubbish and along the side of the road.
Like many other artists in the showcase, he began creating at a young age with advice passed down from his father.
"Not just for this [medium], he taught me everything — dancing, singing," he said.
"When he was alive, I was always there beside him, watching and listening.
"We are following our old people, doing [art] in the same way."
Naminapu Maymuru-White also began creating in her youth after watching others, developing a special interest in depicting the Milky Way.
Her artworks represent the "two rivers" her Maŋgalili clan believe to exist, one running along the earth and one flowing into the sky that guides spirits.
The artist taught her children to continue the creative legacy, passing her skills on to the next generation the same way her father did.
"Dad said to us, 'you continue doing your art in my footsteps,'" she said.
She hoped that sharing Yirrkala art would help society understand her people and make them feel more equal, "so that we can work together".
Inside the gallery, attendees are guided along a short journey through Yirrkala and into a room detailing sacred designs for the 16 clans of North-East Arnhem Land — which are painted on the body for traditional ceremonies and reflect familial ties — then taken through changing art styles and mediums over time, to the artists of today.
The exhibition will run until October 6.