Djon Mundine (born 1951) is an Aboriginal Australian artist, curator, activist and writer. He is a member of the Bundjalung people of northern New South Wales. He is known for having conceived the 1988 work ''

Aboriginal Memorial The ''Aboriginal Memorial'' is a work of contemporary Indigenous Australian art from the late 1980s, and comprises 200 decorated hollow log coffins (also known as memorial poles, dupun, ḻarrakitj and other terms). It was conceived by Djon Mu ...

'', on display at the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of char ...

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

Early life

Djon was born in

Grafton, New South Wales Grafton ( Bundjalung-Yugambeh: Gumbin Gir) is a city in the Northern Rivers region of the Australian state of New South Wales. It is located on the Clarence River, approximately by road north-northeast of the state capital Sydney. The closest m ...

in 1951. He was born 6th of 11 children to Roy Mundine and Olive Bridgette Mundine (nee Donovan). John's father Roy was a union stockman, and Olive's father had joined the first Indigenous Australian political party, the Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association, in the 1920s. His family was very poor growing up, but he credits his father with encouraging the children to think: "I suppose you're not supposed to talk about sex and politics and religion at the table, but he'd get us to talk about whatever was in the papers." He is the elder brother of former politician Nyunggai Warren Mundine. He is a Wehbal man from the West Bundjalung nation, from the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. He is also a descendant of the Yuin people. Mundine spent his early life in South Grafton. He was exposed to the traditions of

Aboriginal art Indigenous Australian art includes art made by Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including collaborations with others. It includes works in a wide range of media including painting on leaves, bark painting, wood carving ...

and technique from a young age. In 1963, his family settled in the western Sydney suburb of

Auburn Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Aub ...

. Mundine went to the Marist Brothers College then called Benedict College, and went on to commence study at

Macquarie University Macquarie University ( ) is a public research university based in Sydney, Australia, in the suburb of Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of S ...

Art career

After deciding that college was not the right path for him, he became an art adviser at Milingimbi Art Centre2020 Red Ochre Award
Australia Council as art and craft advisor at

Milingimbi Milingimbi Island, also Yurruwi, is the largest island of the Crocodile Islands group off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Location Milingimbi lies approximately east of Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin and west of N ...

in the Crocodile Islands in 1979, and afterwards as curator and adviser at Bula'Bula Arts in Ramingining, in

Arnhem Land Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territory of Australia, with the term still in use. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around from the territory capital, Darwin. In 1623, Dutch East India Compan ...

, for 16 years. There he conceived of the concept for the famous ''

'', which is on permanent display at the National Gallery of Australia in

Mundine is particularly well-known for his work as the concept artist and producer of the ''

''. This is a work of contemporary Indigenous Australian art comprising 200 decorated

hollow log coffin A memorial pole, also known as hollow log coffin, burial pole, lorrkkon, ḻarrakitj, or ḏupun, is a hollow tree trunk decorated with elaborate designs, made by the Yolngu people, Yolngu and Bininj peoples of Arnhem Land in the Northern Ter ...

s, offered as a commemoration of the

Australian Bicentenary The bicentenary of Australia was celebrated in 1988. It marked 200 years since the arrival of the First Fleet of British convict ships at Sydney in 1788. History The bicentennial year marked Captain Arthur Phillip's arrival with the 11 ships ...

celebrations in 1988; the log coffins represent 200 years of European occupation of Australia. Their design directly references the traditional hollow log mortuary ceremony of Central Arnhem Land, commemorates those Indigenous Australians who died as a result of European settlement. The work was realised by 43 artists from Ramingining and neighbouring communities of Central

, in the Northern Territory, including

David Malangi David Malangi (192719 June 1999) was an Indigenous Australian Yolngu artist from the Northern Territory. He was one of the most well known bark painters from Arnhem Land and a significant figure in contemporary Indigenous Australian art. He wa ...

, George Milpurrurru, and Philip Gudthaykudthay. It was acquired by the National Gallery of Australia, where it is on permanent display. Its first exhibition was at the Sydney Biennale in 1988, and it has travelled to various galleries around the world over the years. In 1994 he co-curated (with

Fiona Foley Fiona Foley (born 1964) is a contemporary Indigenous Australian artist from K'gari (Fraser Island), Queensland. Foley is known for her activity as an academic, cultural and community leader and for co-founding the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-o ...

) ''Tyerabowbarwarryaou — I Shall never Become a Whiteman'', for the Havana Biennial and

Museum of Contemporary Art Museum of Contemporary Art (often abbreviated to MCA, MoCA or MOCA) may refer to: Africa * Museum of Contemporary Art (Tangier), Morocco, officially le Galerie d'Art Contemporain Mohamed Drissi Asia East Asia * Museum of Contemporary Art Shangha ...

in Sydney. ''Tyerabowbarwarryaou'' was the first exhibition to exhibit contemporary Aboriginal art at the MCA. Mundine was a curator for ''Aratjara'' exhibition, which travelled to Dusseldorf, London, and Denmark, 1993–94. In 1994 Mundine and Foley worked together to co-create the ''Aboriginal Art: The Arnott's Collection'' exhibition at the MCA. The exhibition was the first public display of the Arnott's Biscuits Collection of Aboriginal Bark Paintings, which comprises 275 bark paintings donated to the MCA in June 1993 by

Arnott's Biscuits Arnott's Biscuits Limited is an Australian producer of biscuits and snack food. Founded in 1865, they are the largest producer of biscuits in Australia and a subsidiary of KKR. History In 1847, Scottish immigrant William Arnott opened a ...

. The collection features works from the 1960s through to the early 1980s by important artists from the creative hubs in and around Groote Eylandt, Yirrkala, Galiwin'ku,

, Maningrida, Ramingining, Gunbalanya,

Wadeye Wadeye ( ) is a town in Australia's Northern Territory. It was formerly known (and is still often referred to) as Port Keats. At the , Wadeye had a population of 2,280. Wadeye is the 6th most populous town, and the largest Indigenous community ...

, and the Tiwi Islands. ''The Native Born'' (1996, MCA), was an exhibition and publication showing ceremonial and utilitarian weaving and artistic work from Ramingining community. This led to the inclusion of artists such as

Robyn Djunginy Robin Miriam Carlsson (born 12 June 1979), known as Robyn (), is a Swedish pop singer, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. She arrived on the music scene with her 1995 debut album, ''Robyn Is Here'', which produced two ''Billboard'' Hot 100 t ...

in the 1998 Sydney Biennale. ''They are Meditating: Bark Paintings from the Museum of Contemporary Art's Arnott Collection'' (2008) was another major exhibition, which consisted of over 200 objects from the Ramingining Collection. He divided the collection between six different environments in the Ramingining area : ''Larrtha'puy'' ( mangroves), ''Diltjipuy'' (forests); ''Gulunbuy'' (waterholes); ''Retjapuy'' (jungles); ''Rangipuy''(beaches); and ''Ninydjiyapuy'' (plains). Mundine honoured the intricate kinship system of Aboriginal culture by using pieces that not only depicted objects in nature, but also represented the histories and social structures of Aboriginal Australia. In 2008, Mundine created an exhibition called ''Etched in the Sun''. The exhibition was organised held at Drill Hall Gallery in

. It consisted of several fine art prints representing years of collaboration between Aboriginal artists and fine art printers. Artwork made between 1997 and 2007 by Indigenous artists such as Judy Watson, Banduk Marika, and

Jean Baptiste Apuatimi Jean Baptiste Apuatimi (1940–2013) was a significant Tiwi Island artist whose work is held at most major and several minor Australian galleries and the British Museum. Her works were first exhibited in 1991 in group shows. From 1997 until her ...

were included. Another exhibition that he curated in 2008 was the ''Ngadhu, ngulili, ngeaninyagu: a personal history of Aboriginal art in the Premier State''. It was held at the

Campbelltown Arts Centre Campbelltown Arts Centre (C-A-C or CAC) is a multidisciplinary contemporary arts centre located in Campbelltown, New South Wales, south west of Sydney, Australia. It is a cultural facility of Campbelltown City Council, assisted by other governm ...

, and included work from artists like Brooke Andrew, Bronwyn Bancroft, and Badger Bates. In 2020 Mundine won the

Australia Council The Australia Council for the Arts, commonly known as the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announced in 1967 as the Austra ...

Red Ochre Award The Red Ochre Award is an annual art award for Indigenous Australian artists. Background and description The Red Ochre Award was established in 1993 by the Australia Council for the Arts. It is awarded annually to an outstanding Indigenous Au ...

for Lifetime Achievement. In 2022, Mundine led "The Dabee Family Choir Mural Project." The project originated from the Jimmy and Peggy Lambert Memorial Mural in Kandos Museum. It was created to honour the lives of Jimmy and Peggy, who were survivors of the Dabee Massacre in 1823. For the exhibition, Mundine had over 60 descendants finger-paint Peggy and Jimmy's images. Mundine has been working on the Dingo Project, an exhibition he curated for Ngununggula, which looks into the spiritual mythology and the history of the ancestral

dingo The dingo (''Canis familiaris'', ''Canis familiaris dingo'', ''Canis dingo'', or ''Canis lupus dingo'') is an ancient (Basal (phylogenetics), basal) lineage of dog found in Australia (continent), Australia. Its taxonomic classification is de ...

es. The project also features works from artists such as Karla Dickens,

, and Daniel Boyd. Mundine continues to work as an independent curator of contemporary First Nations art, and as cultural mentor for fellow First Nations artists. He has been working on Ngununggula's second Entry Pavilion Commission. The Entry Pavilion Commission is an annual initiative in celebrating

Gundungurra language Ngunnawal/Ngunawal is an Australian Aboriginal language, the traditional language of the Ngunnawal. Ngunnawal is very closely related to the Gandangara language and the two were most likely highly mutually intelligible. As such they can be c ...

, culture, and history. The exhibition is set to launch on 22 October 2023 and will be open for the public until 26 November.

Practice

Mundine's curatorial work is known for an emphasis on intricacy and difference in content and style, while not compromising on the artists' cultural and political statements. He has written on his website: "Art is a cultural expression; a history of a people; a statement through a series of life experiences of self-definition; a recounting of an untold story; the bringing to light of a truth of history—a statement possibly unable to be made in any other way."

Other activities

Along with working at the arts centres, Mundine played a significant role in the community and worked with many regional and community-based organisations across Australia. Mundine has always been dedicated to his culture and community, and joined the Association of Northern Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists (ANKAAA) as one of its founding members in 1987. He has also held curatorial posts at several institutions, including the

Art Gallery of NSW The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), founded as the New South Wales Academy of Art in 1872 and known as the National Art Gallery of New South Wales between 1883 and 1958, is located in The Domain, Sydney, Australia. It is the most importa ...

, and the

Museum of Contemporary Art Australia The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA), located on George Street in Sydney's The Rocks neighbourhood, is solely dedicated to exhibiting, interpreting, and collecting contemporary art, from across Australia and around the world. It is ...

. Mundine is known in the Aboriginal community for his work and beliefs. As an author, Mundine is able to express his beliefs about art and stay relevant. Mundine often uses his pieces of writing as a means to look deeper into art, past its mediums and origins. Between 2005 and 2006 Mundine was a research professor at the National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku) in Osaka, Japan. In October 2023, ahead of the 2023 Australian referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, Mundine spoke in support of the Yes vote on SBS Television discussion programme '' Insight''. He had not discussed this opinion with his brother Nyunggai Warren Mundine, who is one of the leaders of the No campaign.

Honours and awards

*1993: Medal of the Order of Australia, "for service to the promotion and development of Aboriginal arts, crafts and culture" *2005-2006: PhD candidate at National College of Art and Design *2015: Level 2 winner, Indigenous Project or Keeping Place, for ''Bungaree’s Farm'' at

Mosman Art Gallery Mosman Art Gallery is the main public art gallery for the Mosman area on the north shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The art gallery was opened in 1998 by Mosman Council. Exhibitions have covered diverse topics and subjects. The exhibit ...

, at the Australian Museums and Galleries Association MAGNA Awards *2016: Best in Heritage Conference, Dubrovnik, showcased entry and finalist, ''Bungaree’s Farm'' *2017: Inaugural Power Publications Award for Indigenous Art Writing, for his essay "The Aboriginal Memorial: Australia's Forgotten War". *2020:

Australia Council for the Arts The Australia Council for the Arts, commonly known as the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announced in 1967 as the Austra ...

Other roles

* 2020 Patron, King & Wood Mallesons Contemporary First Nation Art Award& Wood Mallesons Contemporary First Nation Art Prize
/ref> * 2018 Patron: King & Wood Mallesons Contemporary First Nation Art Prize * 2018 Judge: Woollahra Small Sculpture Award * 2007 Judge: Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award * 2000 Judge: ''The Art of Place'': The 5th

National Indigenous Heritage Art Awards The Australian Heritage Commission (AHC), was the Australian federal government authority established in 1975 by the ''Australian Heritage Commission Act 1975'' as the first body to manage natural and cultural heritage in Australia until its de ...

, Australian Heritage Commission * 1993 Curator: Bayside Council First Nations Art Competition * 1988 Judge: Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award * 1985-87 Aboriginal Art Adviser, Artbank * 1996 Judge: Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award

Writings

*200
''Deacon-structing Destiny'', Essay, for Clandestine [exhibition
- Destiny Deacon and Virginia Fraser, Tandanya, Adelaide Arts Festival">xhibition">''Deacon-structing Destiny'', Essay, for Clandestine [exhibition
- Destiny Deacon and Virginia Fraser, Tandanya, Adelaide Arts Festivalbr>Opening talk by Djon Mundine OAM: ''Twined,'' on Robyn Djunginy and Karen Mills
ref> *2012
Shadowlife
*201
''Aboriginal performance art: How bizarre!,'' Essay, Artlink
*201
''The Aboriginal Memorial to Australia's forgotten war'', Essay, Artlink
*2015
Bungaree-A Man in Space
*201
''Woman on the Dunes'', Fiona Foley, Interview, Artlink
*201
''The Masque Ball of Tracey Moffatt'', Australian Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale, Review, Artlink
*2017-''Lucky Country - Adam Hill aka Blak Douglas'', catalogue essay, the 2017 Triennale, NGA *201
''Four Women (I do belong) Double'', Catalogue essay, Lismore Art Gallery, pp.6-9
*2018-''The Road to Bentinck Island: Sally and Her Sisters – Sally and Her Daughters'', The Indigenous Story Project *201
''Archie Moore 1970-2018'', Review, Artlink
*201
''Politico-Magic-Realism, Destiny Deacon'', Short Essay
*201
''Blak Lik Mi'', Blak Queensland Portraits, Cairns Art Gallery
*201
''Who Are These Strangers and Where Are They Going'', catalogue Essay, Fiona Foley, Ballarat International Foto Bienal.

Exhibitions

Boards, committees and associations

References

External links

*
Bungarees Farm - Mosman Art GalleryParliament of New South Wales Aboriginal Art Prize
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mundine, Djon Living people People from New South Wales Bundjalung people Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia 1951 births Indigenous Australian artists