The discarded outback road signs that became a prize-winning artwork
About 700 kilometers east of Darwin, 39 -year -old artist and four -person mother, based on Yirrkala, learned his art from his late father, Mr. W. Wanambi, the winner of the various Natsiaa Awards in 2022.
The artists have been doing art works from industrial materials that they found on the roadside, since they have been doing art since the age of 17 in 2003, which plans to use a reward money to buy a new vehicle to investigate the road signs.
“It is not easy to buy these signs – you should go to Bush to look for them on the way,” his sister said through his artist Dhukumul Wanambi.
He helped his father paint his signature mullet fish on the burial poles, then the pictures bark, then he learned to excavate them on the old road signs in which they found the Arnhem motorway. After that, he graduated to create his own honey bees.
“He was really proud, Wan Wanambi said. “He taught us to learn how to do our works of art from a young age.”
The first guest curator of the award and the former first nations curator in the Melbourne Arts region, Taungurung artist Kate Ten Buuren, said the winning work can be seen in both sides – the silver surface carved into the front and the road signs in the back.
Ten Buuen said, gibi Like two ways to see the country: a way to say how to behave in a country, and another is a deep way to know who you are and where you come from, ”he said.
“A great element of this year’s studies were young and developing artists who use new technologies to tell stories in new ways or to prepare old technologies and applications that bring their personal techniques.”
Among the other category winners were Amata artist Iluwanti Ken, who won the $ 15,000 general painting award. Walawuru tjukurpa (Eagle Story) and Maningrida artist Lucy Yarwanga, who won the $ 15,000 Bark Picture Award Bawaliba and nalyoDStringybark painted on.
Judges, domestic artists Gail Mabo, Brian Martin and academic Stephen Gilchrist, 216 entrances to choose 71 finalists, he said.
The Natsiaa 2025 show is in the Museum of the Northern Region of Darwin until January 26, 2026 (MAGNT).
Helen Pitt went to Darwin with the permission of the museum and art gallery of the North Region.
