Yolngu artist’s first Euro exhibition

NITV reports on the first European exhibition by Yolngu artist, Dhambit Mununggurr, presented at the Australian Embassy in Paris.

One of the many striking aspects of Mununggurr’s work is her preference for blue. As stated in the NITV article, no Yolngu artist paints with the colour blue. “For Yolngu artists depicting Country and its stories, it is customary to only use materials collected from Country, such as ochre, bark and earth pigments”.

But after Mununggurr suffered an accident in 2005, resulting in an acquired brain injury and physical disabilities, she was given special permission by her community to use non-traditional colours, to help her overcome difficulties involved in hand-grinding ochre. This break from Yolngu tradition would lead Mununggurr to adopt her now iconic blue painting style.

The NITV article also notes that the Euro exhibition marks the first time Mununggurr has used paper as a medium, having only previously used bark and board.

The Earth is Blue: The Art of Dhambit Mununggurr is on display from 25 Oct 2024 – 31 March 2025 at the Australian Embassy in Paris, 4 Rue Jean Rey, Paris, France.