Lena Nyadbi
Lena Nyadbi AO | |
---|---|
Born | circa 1936 Warnmarnjulugun lagoon, Western Australia |
Nationality | Indigenous Australian |
Known for | Painting, installation art |
Notable work | Dayiwul Lirlmim |
Lena Nyadbi
Early life
Lena Nyadbi, of the Gija people, by her own estimate, was born circa 1936 at Warnmarnjulugun lagoon near Greenvale Station in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia. Her father and mother died whilst she was at a young age, and she was raised by her older sister, Goody Barrett, on Lissadell Station.[5][6]
From a young age, Nyadbi served as an
Artistic career
In 1998, the same year the
Nyadbi typically paints two
In 2002, director of the
The piece Jimbirlam and Kumerra, also referred to as Jimbirla and Gemerre, meaning Spearheads and Scarifications, was originally a black-and-white piece, but it was decided by the museum to convert it to a grey-on-grey piece, so that it would fit in with the aesthetics of the Haussmannian buildings across from the museum. Early experiments for the templates which would eventually be placed on the museum exterior wall were rejected by Nyadbi because they lacked contrast and she believed it made her artwork look like sausages. Her initial reluctance to approve the template designs almost led to her being ejected from the project. The resultant rendering of the piece is now found on an exterior wall of the museum and is visible from
Hideout
Nyadbi's 2002 painting Hideout depicts the story of her family when they were forced to take shelter in a cave from "murderous pastoralists" who were chasing after them; this was a story that she'd hear as she grew up. Eventually her family made it out of the cave through a different opening and made their way above to a ridge where they watched the gadiya (white people) shoot into the area in front of the cave in search of them. The bottom portion of Hideout depicts the cave where her family hid, as well as a nearby site belonging to an ancestral bat, and a gathering place where Gija people would grind seeds and prepare food. Hideout is largely a contrast of black and white ochre, but is remedied by a stanza of red spearheads in the top half of her painting. Nyadbi's combination of symbols and different locations brings together the past, present, and ancestral times (Ngarrangkarni).[14]
Dayiwul Lirlmim
During a 2011 meeting with
The AU$500,000 commission, which was to be borne by the Council and Mitchell's philanthropic foundation, would see Nyadbi presenting a work entitled Dayiwul Lirlmim (Barramundi scales). The work tells the dreaming story of three women who trap a barramundi in a trap, but it escapes. The three women chase the fish across the countryside, and it jumps across a creek and lands on rocks. Scales from the fish are thereby scattered across the landscape on the current site of the
Preparation for the transformation of the artwork from canvas onto rooftop saw the original painting being digitised. This enabled the creation of 172 stencils which measured 3 metres by 1.5 metres to be created for placement on the roof of the museum. The black canvas was then painted with white rubber as is used on traffic signs in the French capital. The digitisation of the painting also allows for easy reproduction when it becomes necessary to replace the roofing tar every fifteen years.[16]
On 2 June 2013,
It made me sorry for my country, poor bugger. That fish, he is a long way from his country. He is next to a different river, but he is a long way from his country.
Lena Nyadbi on her feelings upon seeing her painting on the roof of the museum for the first time.[20]
Mitchell said the installation of the artwork on the rooftop of the museum would allow Australia to "show off our first peoples to the world," and further stated "(w)e must grab these opportunities where we can to tell the world who and what we are."
Awards and recognition
In May 2014 as part of the 2014 Western Australian of the Year Awards, Nyadbi was given the Aboriginal Award for "(e)xcellence in professional and/or personal achievements and contributions to the Western Australian community, and recognition as an inspirational role model of the Aboriginal community."[22][23]
Nyadbi was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2022 Australia Day Honours for "distinguished service to the visual arts as a contemporary Indigenous artist".[24]
Solo exhibitions
- Kintolai Gallery, Adelaide – 2000
- Niagara Galleries, Melbourne – 2000
- Niagara Galleries, Melbourne – 2005
- Niagara Galleries, Melbourne – 2007
- Painting my Country – Always, Niagara Galleries, Melbourne – 2010
- Niagara Galleries, Melbourne – 2012
- Starry Night, Niagara Galleries, Melbourne – 2016[25]
References
- ^ "Lena Nyadbi's 'Barramundi Scales' art unveiled on Paris rooftop" (7 June 2013). PerthNow. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ^ "Lena Nyadbi: New Collection". Seva Frangos Art. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ Miller, Nick. (7 June 2013). "Dreamtime art celebrated on rooftops of Paris". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ^ Adamson, Thomas. (6 June 2013). "Eiffel Tower Art: Lena Nyadbi Painting Can Only Be Viewed From Top Of Paris Landmark". Huffington Post. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ^ Australia Council for the Arts. 29 April 2013. Archived from the original(PDF) on 11 February 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ a b c Alafouzou, Maria (11 June 2013). "Roof Art in Paris Opens Window Back in Time". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ "Equal wages, 1963–66". Collaborating for Indigenous Rights. National Museum of Australia. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ Wroth, Davidwebsite=Japingka Aboriginal Art Gallery; Umbagi, Leah (2017). "Australian Aboriginal Ochre Painting". Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Paris rooftop display shows Indigenous artist Lena Nyadbi's work to the world". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Australian Broadcasting Corporation/Agence France-Presse. 7 June 2013. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ "Hideout, (2002) by Lena Nyadbi". www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- ^ "Login to library resources | St. Catherine University Libraries". login.pearl.stkate.edu. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Naturally in Paris". Architecture Australia. 95 (5). Architecture Media Pty Ltd. 1 September 2006. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- ISBN 978-9088902055.
- ^ "Hideout, (2002) by Lena Nyadbi". www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ a b c Strickland, Katrina (17 August 2012). "Aboriginal art on Paris rooftop". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- ^ a b c d Laurent, Stéphane (18 July 2013). "Eiffel Tower dreaming: Lena Nyadbi". Creative Cowboy Films. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- ^ "Custodianship ceremony". Governor-General of Australia. 2 June 2013. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- Agence France Presse/Jiji Press. 8 June 2013. Archived from the originalon 14 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- NT News. Archived from the originalon 14 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- ^ Nodea, Gabriel (24 February 2014). "Nyadbi considers career and country". The West Australian. The Kimberley Echo. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- ^ a b Taylor, Andrew (30 April 2013). "Artist scales Parisian heights to show beauty of the barramundi". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- ^ "Celebrate WA". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- ^ "West Aussie awards go to mining, sport, art and charity". WAtoday. 31 May 2014. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- ^ "Australia Day 2022 Honours List" (PDF). Office of the Governor-General of Australia. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- ^ "Niagara Galleries – Contemporary Art Gallery Melbourne, Australia – Lena Nyadbi". niagaragalleries.com.au. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
Further reading
- Kimberley, Jonathan (June 2015). "Lena Nyadbi : Dayiwul in Paris". Artlink. 35 (2): 52–54.