James Iyuna, 1986

James Iyuna (1959-2012), bark painter, was one of four brothers who grew up at Mumeka, an isolated outstation situated on the Mann River in the Arnhem Land escarpment stretching along the southern extremity of Arnhem Land from Kakadu to Maningrida. Their father, a fishtrap maker, did not paint either on rock or bark, but taught them to make nets; their uncle, the prominent bark painter Peter Marralwanga, taught the brothers bark painting techniques. All four, but particularly John Mawurndjul, subsequently achieved fame as bark painters. Like Mawurndjul’s, James Iyuma’s intricately crosshatched works frequently feature Ngalyod, the rainbow serpent that guards sacred sites. Iyuna’s work featured in the major Art Gallery of New South Wales exhibition Crossing Country: the alchemy of western Arnhem Land art in 2004. With his wife Melba Gunjarrwanga, also an artist, Iyuna made a public artwork drawing on his knowledge of fishnet weaving for the Darwin Entertainment Centre in 2007.

Martin van der Wal called his series of photographs of Aboriginal artists Big Shots, referring both to the photographs themselves, and to the preeminence of his subjects.

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2005
© Martin van der Wal