
Indigenous Art

Gurrmirringu Story
MALANGI DAYMIRRINGU, David
Australia 1927 – 1999
Three black figures in triangular arrangement, foliage at sides and top, band cross hatching across base 1963
Bark painting
natural pigments on eucalyptus bark
68.8 (h) x 39.0 (w) cm
Private collection, Canberra
© David Malangi. Licensed by VISCOPY, Australia
It was in the Dhuwa moiety lands of Mulanga on the east bank of the Glyde River that the Ancestor Gurrmirringu, known as the Great Hunter, lived. He wandered these lands harvesting fruit, seeds, berries, goanna, kangaroo, birds and fish.
Gurrmirringu’s life as a hunter was a favourite subject for Malangi in bark paintings and sculpture. A rare early depiction shows Gurrmirringuwith a wallaby resting on his shoulders, while both paintings and sculptures depict the hunter with his wife hunting, with dilly bags used for carrying food suspended from the head or shoulders.
Aboriginal Art
Activity
No Ordinary Place
The art of David Malangi features bark paintings, ceremonial objects and sculptures made by David Malangi Daymirringu a senior elder of the Manharrngu clan of central Arnhem Land.
The resource contains:
• Images of works of art from the exhibition No ordinary place: the art of David Malangi and contextual information on the artist
and Indigenous culture.
• Questions, activities and discussion points