In our upcoming solo exhibition, we are showcasing original works by the Aboriginal Australian artist couple Moima Willie (née Samuels) (ca. 1935–2014) & Willie Gudabi (ca. 1916–1996) from Ngukurr, Northern Territory, Australia.
Moima Willie grows up on an Anglican mission and initially has little access to her own culture; she does not know her native language and very little about the ceremonies and stories of her people.
Willie Gudabi is a high-ranking elder and master of ceremonies of the Alawa people. He is one of the leading artists of the original Ngukurr Art School and co-founds the Ngundugunya Association of Artists in the late 1980s. He experiments with screen printing, then paints with acrylics on canvas, developing a sophisticated, energetic style in the process.
Together, they create exceptionally vivid paintings—which can be read as traditional maps—depict complex stories of circumcision, burial ceremonies, love songs and the law of the animals. Each composition is rich in events and symbolism; the images recount totemic and Dreamtime stories, featuring turtles, bull ants, medicinal plants, snakes and dancing women.
In their paintings, Moima Willie and Willie Gudabi explain that all animals have their own law. These narrative canvas paintings serve to record and explain the preservation, transmission and defence of these laws. In this way, the legends and myths are properly understood and preserved.
Together, the two create exceptionally vivid paintings that can be read as traditional maps and depict complex stories about circumcision, burial ceremonies, love songs, and the law of the animals. Gudabi frequently depicts his laws, while Moima portrays the Gabal ritual through paintings of love stories featuring totem animals, birds, and fish.
Each composition is rich in events and symbolism; the images tell stories of totems and the Dreamtime, depicting turtles, bull ants, medicinal plants, snakes, and dancing women. Depicting—and thus preserving—the stories and ceremonies of her people is their greatest motivation for painting.
In their paintings, Moima Willie and Willie Gudabi explain that all animals have their own law. These narrative canvas paintings serve to document and explain the maintenance, transmission, and defense of this law. In this way, the legends and myths are properly understood and preserved.
History of the Ngukurr Art School
The Roper River Mission in southeastern Arnhem Land was taken over by a government agency in 1968; since then, it has been known as Ngukurr—“place of many stones.” Historically, during a period of extreme colonial abuses, including massacres, Ngukurr served as a gathering place for people from various language groups. This diverse population is reflected in the radically different works of the older artists who emerged in Ngukurr in the late 1980s.
In 1987, the Open College of TAFE in Katherine launched an adult education initiative in Ngukurr. In the old hospital building on Beat Street—which became known as the “Painting Shed”—spaces were set up for screen-printing classes. The introduction of colored printing inks particularly inspired the locals, including Willie Gudabi, Djambu Barra Barra, and Ginger Riley Munduwalawala.
In 1989, the local elementary school took over artistic direction for the Open College of TAFE in Katherine.
The colors in the mind’s eye and imagination of the many artists based in Ngukurr—many of whom live far from their ancestral lands—who express their land and culture on their remarkable canvases, set a precedent in the art of Australia’s First Nations. The artists associated with the original Ngukurr School—Ginger Riley, Willie Gudabi, Djambu Barra Barra, Amy Johnson, the Joshua sisters, and Barney Ellaga—have established themselves as major contemporary Australian artists.
Solo Exhibitions (Selection)
1990 William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in collaboration with Alcaston House Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
1991 Aboriginal Arts Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in collaboration with Alcaston House Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
1992 Alcaston House Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
1993 Alcaston House Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
2002 "Willie Gudabi & Moima, previously unseen works on paper", Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
2018 "Willie Gudabi and Moima Willie: Stories from the Cox and Roper Rivers - An Archive Survey", Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
Honors and Awards (Selection):
1993 Gold Coast Art Prize, Gold Coast City Gallery, Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia
1993 The Alice Prize, Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
Collections (selection):
publications (selection)
Photos: courtesy Beverly Knight
