art forum: NAMINAPU MAYMURU-WHITE

Naminapu Maymuru-White was born a member of the Manggalili clan at the Yirrkala mission station in north-east Arnhem Land in 1952. As a child she sat for hours patiently watching her father paint, and was fortunate to have both her father Nanyin Maymuru (1918–69) and her father’s brother Narritjin Maymuru (1922–82) as her teachers. Naminapu was one of the first generation of Yolngu women to be taught to paint miny’tji (sacred clan designs) reflecting one of a number of historic adaptions made by Yolngu elders over the past forty years. Naminapu has exhibited regularly over the years, her work is held in numerous major collections and she has won several awards including the 2000 HC Coombs Creative Arts Fellowship at the Australian National University. Naminapu Maymuru-White will be joined by Professor Howard Morphy, Denise Salvestro, Heather Burness and Nigel Lendon for a broad ranging conversation springing from a discussion of Naminapu’s art practice. Naminapu Maymuru-White is visiting the School of Art as a guest of the HC Coombs Creative Arts Fellowship 50th anniversary celebrations.