Lena Yarinkura

Lena Yarinkura (born 1961) is an Aboriginal Australian artist from the Rembarrnga and Kune language groups.^[1] From Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, She is a Kune woman from Buluhkaduru, found in Maningrida.^[2] The name is said to be an adaptation of Manayingkarírra, which is a Kunibídji word that derives from the phrase Mane djang karirra, or “the place where the Dreaming changed shape".^[3] She is often credited for being the innovator of contemporary fiber art, producing multiple acclaimed works as well as creating a new school of fibre sculpture.^[2][4] She is a member of Maningrida Arts and Culture, an arts and crafts center in Maningrida, Northern Territory.^[4]

Yarinkura was also married to Kamarrang Bob Burruwal (1952-2021). They lived in an outstation on Yarinkura's mother country called Bolkdjam. Yarinkura and Burruwal worked together as a team and most of the artworks created by either of them are often collaborations with one another. ^[5]

Yarinkura was born in Buluhkarduru, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, into the Yirritja moiety.^[4] Additionally, she was born into three clans, namely, the Rembarrnga, Kune, and Burnungku clans and as a result, she is part of the Gotjjan subsection.^[3] Yarinkura's life at Maningrida, an Aboriginal Australian community located around 250 miles east of Darwin on the Liverpool River in northeast Arnhem land and the traditional country of the Kunibidji people, involved close contact with her mother, a skilled weaver and artisan, as well as her father's younger brother, Jack Wawee (var. Wawi)^[3].Yarinkura’s mother, Lena Djamarrakyu, taught her how to do fiber art using pandanus fibers.^[1] On the other hand, her father, Willie Mardangiya, passed early in her childhood, which led to his younger brother, Jack Wawee, taking over as her father figure.^[3] Yarinkura grew up surrounded and immersed in her rich culture and learned the important ancestral stories and cultural teachings from both her parents and Elders in the community.^[3]From childhood, she was able to make traditional Aboriginal fiber forms such as dilly bags, large fish nets, and ceremonial dance belts, all of which served a utilitarian purpose in her community.^[3] She mastered all these techniques, and as the Maningrida art market grew, she turned her focus toward coiled basketmaking.^[3] Yarinkura and her husband, Bob Burruwal, lived on an outstation approximately 60 km South of Maningrida named Bolkdjam.^[5]

Her career as a contemporary fiber artist jumpstarted with her marriage to Bob Burruwal, another Aboriginal artist, in the mid-1980s.^[1] Diane Moon, Maningrida's arts advisor at the time, helped foster Yarinkura's artistic talent as a bark painter and fiber artist with later potential as a sculptor as well. ^[6] Bob Burruwal participated in male-dominated fields such as bark painting and hollow log coffins; his practice influenced Yarinkura to incorporate those ideas into her fiber forms, morphing these fibers into structural painted artworks such as animals, spirits, and Ancestors using traditional materials like pandanus fibers and natural earth pigments.^[3] Yarinkura later used the same artistic techniques required for twining pandanus to create more innovative figures such as the Ngayang Spirit, Yawk Yawks, dogs, and bush animals.^[7] There was a period of time where Yarinkura and her family were the only ones creating this type of fibre art sculptures that illustrate local myths and hunting stories.^[8] However, overall, all Yarinkura’s creations stem from a place of "Dreaming" and her desire and yearning to express her knowledge rather than trying to satisfy the art market. ^[9]

When Yarinkura ventured into bark painting and began carving hollow log sculptures, this change in media and overall scale motivated a shift in her work and overall approach to fiber.^[10] She began to make traditional long yam sculptures from paperbark bound by string (made from kurrajong tree bark), and painted them with distinctive red and white ochres.^[10]During this shift, Yarinkura began to produce near life-size representations of the major ancestral cycles told by the elders of western and central Arnhem land.^[10] In 1994, she and her husband, Bob Burruwal, first experimented with this binding technique with Family Drama (1994), a group work depicting a traditional burial scene that included four human figures, a dog, and a raised platform.^[11] Accordingly, the two drew their inspiration from both ancestral creator beings (e.g., spirits such as Wurum) and everyday life (e.g., feral bush pigs).^[12] Yarinkura also made conscious efforts to reference some of the most important Aboriginal ancestral beings, such as the Rainbow Serpent (Ngalyod), in her works such as Sacred waterholes.^[13] Not long afterwards, she bent the form once again, using nontraditional materials like bronze, tin,^[4] and aluminum to make these works.^[3] Alongside her husband, they drew upon such fibre weaving and ceremonial object representations to adapt with new techniques of moulding with plasticine and construction for sculptures.^[14] To illustrate the stories that belong to her husband and herself, Yarinkura made paperbark and woven sculptures of a range of spirit figures, dogs, yawkyawk (mermaid-like spirits) and crocodiles, which had precedents in men's ceremonial objects rarely seen after the 1960s.^[10] For example, she made five camp dog sculptures representing dogs in her real family; she comically made the dogs appear sick, angry, and cheeky.^[15] Throughout her journey, she would collaborate with Bob Burruwal to make some of her acclaimed works, but after his death, Yolanda Rostron, her daughter, became her art partner.^[5] Yarinkura's generational knowledge, the skills of basketry and pandanus-weaving learned from her mother Lena Djamarrayku, have accordingly been passed down to her daughter and now granddaughter Philomena Kelly. ^[5] Although Yarinkura's work was deeply intertwined with her husband and family, she held her first solo exhibition at Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi in Melbourne showcasing her fibre structures thus further differentiating herself and becoming a more independent artist. ^[16]

Yarinkura and Burruwal's career was highly impactful in the artistic scene, inventing a whole new genre of art. Without their contributions, its likely that these new forms of fibre arts would never had come to fruition. As her works grew larger in scale and intricacy, Yarinkura became increasingly inspired to utilize the various traditional stories of her people to help narrate her works.^[3] Yarinkura, demonstrates the ability to integrate tradition with innovation in a manner that still highlights indigenous culture. ^[5] She has been credited with creating a remarkable oeuvre and diversity of works that reinforce her ambitious cultural and creative vision, giving her the rightfully deserved reputation as a master weaver.^[3]

Although Diane Moon and Burruwal may have helped foster Yarinkura's artistic talent, Yarinkura states that no one specifically taught her how to use pandanus to make animals. She teaches herself and creates new ways to create these sculptures. Yarinkura views her artistic inventions as being highly integrated with her country, as she often attributes most her creations to the direct connection between herself and her country^[17].It is of great importance that she passes down these skills to her children and grandchildren because Yarinkura knows one day she will be gone and wants them to take her place.^[2] Yarinkura's talent as a contemporary artist is recognized by many at the highest level, as her works are often represented in almost every major Australian cultural institution and various significant private collections.^[3] Yarinkura's expert eyes and nimble fingers has allowed her to masterfully tap into the universal language of weaving to go on and create some of the most ingenious and pioneering works to come out of Maningrida and Australia in the last several decades.^[3]

Yarinkura typically chooses to use natural materials which she harvests and collects from her local environment in Bolkdjam.^[18] She used materials such as dayarr (pandanus), rulk (grass), warlpupurrunggu (bush turkey), nganarrngh (black cockatoo), feathers, and marnarr (red ochre), garbla (yellow ochre), gamununggu (white clay), and roerroe (black ashes). Ochre, a natural earth pigment, is rich in iron oxides and is created by grinding rock into a powder, then mix with a fluid to combine. ^[19] Her usage of natural pigments in her works has helped distinguish herself from other Maningrida artists.^[20]

Lena Yarinkura is featured as one of the nine prominent Aboriginal women artists whose works are showcased in this collection. This exhibition highlights the great contributions of all nine artists to contemporary Aboriginal art, highlighting their roles as matriarchs in their communities. Alongside Yarinkura, the exhibition also premiered Nonggirrnga Marawili, Wintjiya Napaltjarri, Yukultji Napangati, Angelina Pwerle, Carlene West, Regina Pilawuk Wilson, Gulumbu Yunupingu, and Nyapanyapa Yunupingu. Yarinkura is renowned for her innovative fiber art, particularly her depictions of mythological female figures known as Yawk yawk. Her participation in Marking the Infinite shows her pivotal role in the evolution of Aboriginal art. Showcasing how contemporary practices can honor and give reinterpretation to traditional stories and symbols.^[21]

Lena Yarinkura, is known for redefining the boundaries of her fibre art. Her work transforms the traditional techniques like twining, weaving, and netting into powerful visual expressions of cultural identity. Through her creations, Yarinkura connection her community and regions around her. This can be seen through the symbolized use of Buya Male poles, which serve as a key element in ceremonial exchange between different groups. Linking them in ways new to the traditional scene.^[21]

Source:^[2]

Open Hands is an art showcase that pays tributes to the work of senior artists who are essential is passing down cultural knowledge to the upcoming generations. As a contributing artist, Yarinkura's works were displayed at the Art Gallery of South Australia for this annual celebration of Indigenous Australia. Through their artwork, these artists showcase their connections to deep rooted knowledge in Country and culture.^[2]

Ngalbenbe is an installation created by Yarinkura and her daughter Yolanda Rostron for the Open Hands exhibit. This piece represents the important ancestral contribution in the cosmology of the people of Arnhem Land, specifically the Kune and Rembarrnga peoples. The series of sculptures are made from pandanus, paperbark, feathers, rocks, sand, earth pigments, and natural dyes.^[2]

Ngalbenbe shows the story of the sun (Ngalbenbe) and three fishermen who go to fish with their butterfly fish trap (Walabi).^[2]

The yawk yawk are young girls that have transformation powers granted by the Rainbow Serpent, Ngalmudj, and they inhabit the Maningrida region.^[4] At times, they are compared to mermaids since they are illustrated as the tail of a fish. ^[22] Furthermore, parts of the Yawk Yawk's body are associated with the land, for example, the bend of a river can be considered the tail and the billabong can be the head.^[23] Yarinkura inherited the rights and responsibilities to depict the yawk yawk from her mother, making the yawk yawk one of her signatures.^[4] While there are various interpretations of yawkyawk mythologies among the different language groups, Yarinkura depicts them in accordance with her belief that yawkyawk are the same as those still living in a sacred billabong near her outstation.^[3]

• Yawkyawk (2015), twined pandanus palm leaf, paperbark, natural pigments, and feathers, 63 x 100 in. (160 x 254 cm.)^[3]
• Yawkyawk (2015), twined pandanus palm leaf, wood, feathers, earth pigments, and synthetic binder, 62.5 x 39.375 in. (150 x 100 cm.)^[3]

Spiders became another motif of Yarinkura, as they symbolized a transformation of old techniques with new ideas.^[5] Spiderwebs represent the suspension of innovation, constantly changing shape while still maintaining integral concepts that are passed down through generations.^[5] In fact, Yarinkura has mentioned that others, including herself, have painted the spider for bark painting. Aboriginal artists In essence, the spider is a manifestation of Yarinkura's Dreaming, or ancestral connection, of constant change while protecting her Country.^[5] One of these works, Spider web (2010), consisting of natural earth pigments on bush spring and pandanus fibre, was displayed in the exhibition Alive and spirited at the National Gallery of Australia.^[24] Her spiders sculptures are not only a representation of the insect but also act as a metaphor. Yarinkura speaks on the entanglement between the dreaming and conscious world, as well as protecting one's country and land.^[25]

The emotions typically evoked by the sight of a spider–such as fear–is a key part of Yarinkura's artistic style. The often subtle inclusion of the spider motif honors the simplistic yet integral importance of the species.^[3] It is also important to note that while spider is not inherently sacred or has any powerful spiritual meaning, spiders are still used as evocative subjects for artist in the region where Yarinkura is from.^[3] Yarinkura recalls that years ago when viewing the body of a family member recently deceased, thousands of spiders had appeared and gave birth while crawling all over the corpse. In another account, Yarinkura noted that in mid-October 2019, she was visiting Maningrida when she saw a spider (karrh) making a web (kunred). She took this as a sign of becoming ill and laid down. The karrh spun his web around Yarinkura and she couldn't escape because the kunred was too strong. Trapped inside of this web, Yarinkura awoke from her sleep with an intense fever where she was then taken to Darwin for treatment where she later fully recovered. ^[26]

Source:^[26]

In 2010, Yarinkura had created a work of contemporary art which depicted a spider on a web. Karrh is a spider who is a symbolic figure that brings warnings or omens related to death and illness. Karrh is part of the yirritja moiety. The string of this art piece is made from the roots of a cocky apple tree (manworrbal), yellow ochre (karlba), and white cockatoo feathers (ngarradj).^[26] The contrast between the light and dark feathers is said to create a visual illusion of pulsing movements.^[5] The vibrating design draws the viewer's attention to both the spider at the center and the edges of the work.^[5] Yarinkura's web representation is a key motif in her artistic expression and illustrates the innovation she has brought into the field. Her web is both old and new, traditional and innovative, and regionally specific but also universal due to Yarinkura's conscious effort to mediate between her world and that of the outside world.^[5]

• Spider (2015), twined pandanus palm leaf, paperbark, natural pigments, and feathers, 106.625 x 63 in. (271 x 160 cm.)^[3]
• Spider in a tree at Bulakadaru (2004), natural earth pigments on paperbark and kapok, 107 x 90 cm.^[5]
• Karrh kunred (2010), natural earth pigments on bush string and Pandanus fibre, 205.0 h x 214.5 w cm.^[5]
• Spider (2015), twined pandanus palm leaf, paperbark, natural pigments and feathers, 156 x 121 cm.^[5]

Yarinkura collaborated with the Urban Art Projects (UAP) in 1999 with Judy Watson.^[27] She developed a long-term relationship with the organization, through a metal-casting workshop at Maningrida Arts and Culture Centre.^[28] UAP developed new casting methods based on Yarinkura’s work, and together they later developed Seven Dogs,^[29] an art installation held at Brisbane Airport Skygate in 2010.^[30] With this new medium, Yarinkura was able not only to continue her craft but also experiment with new materials such as metal casting.

Known for her pandanus and fibre sculptures, Yarinkura's method weaving is similar to the process used for making a dilly bag or fish trap. She used this same technique of twining pandanus fibres to create the figures in her 1996 sculpture Ngayang Spirit, which included two human-like forms and a woven mat.^[31] Yarinkura's works often start with her harvesting the natural material from the local landscape near her outstation on her mother's country, not far from Maningrida.^[3] Some of her most commonly used materials consist of dayarr (pandanus) and rulk (grass), and she also uses traditional colors such as marnarr (recd ochre), garbla (yellow ochre), gamununggu (white clay), and roerroe (black ashes).^[3] When creating her Yawk Yawk, Yarinkura worked to expand her beginning structures to create the shapes needed for art piece. After finishing off the piece, she applied an ochre pigment to imitate the scales and shimmering qualities of the water spirits. Although Yarinkura does have a beginning process to her weaving, she follows her artistic liberties, allowing for spontaneity in the art making process. ^[32]

1994 - $3,000 Wandjuk Marika Memorial Three Dimensional Award sponsored by Telstra for Family Drama (1994) with Bob Burruwal^[3] This was awarded at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Awards, the work consisted of six life-size bound paper-bark sculptures adorned as if they were attending a funeral with related spears, feather strings, and dilly bags accordingly.^[12]

1997 - $3,000 Wandjuk Marika Memorial Three Dimensional Award sponsored by Telstra for her work Family of Yawks Yawks^[33]

1998 – Professional Development Grant, Australia Council for the Arts, Aboriginal Arts Unit^[4]

2009- Yarinkura received the Togart Contemporary Art Award alongside others for her "YawkYawk" submission, depicting the spirit and its narrative^[34]

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney

Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide

Australian Museum, Sydney

Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney

Djomi Museum, Maningrida

Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin

Museum DHistoire Naturelle de Lyon, France

Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

Nevada Museum of Art, Reno

Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane

2020 - Tarnanthi 2020: Open Hands, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, SA^[5]

2017 - Tarnanthi 2017, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, SA^[35]

2009 – Ancestral Spirit Beings and Ceremonial Lorrkon, Gallery Gabreille Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC^[4]

2004 – Australian culture now, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC^[4]

2004 – Maningrida Fibre Art, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, UK^[4]

2003 – Maningrida Threads, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW^[4]

2001 – Out of the Mould: An exhibition of the first works in bronze and aluminum from Maningrida, Gallery Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC^[4]

2001 – National Sculpture Prize, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT^[4]

2000 – Tamworth Fibre Textile Biennial: Frisson, Tamworth City Gallery, Tamworth, NSW^[4]

2000 – Biennale of Sydney 2000, various venues at various locations, Sydney, NSW^[4]

1999 – Spinifex Runner: A collection of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fibre art, Campbelltown City Bicentennial Art Gallery, Campbelltown, NSW^[4]

1995 – Maningrida: The Language of Weaving, AETA Touring Exhibition throughout Australia and New Zealand^[4]

1995 - Australian National Heritage Art Award in Canberra (Yarinkura and Burruwal's second narrative sculpture group Modjarkki, Two Brothers and the Crocodile)^[6]

1989, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT^[4][3][33]