Joe Guymala (born 1969) is an

Aboriginal Australian Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the Torres Strait Islands ...

artist and musician of the Burdoh clan of the

Kunwinjku The Kunwinjku (formerly written Gunwinggu) people are an Australian Aboriginal people, one of several groups within the Bininj people, who live around West Arnhem Land to the east of Darwin, Northern Territory. Kunwinjku people generally refer t ...

people, known for his paintings on

bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, ...

, paper and memorial poles known as ''

lorrkkon 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 and Bininj peoples of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Aust ...

''.

Biography

Joe Guymala was born in 1969 at Manmoyi outstation about east of

Gunbalanya Gunbalanya (also spelt Kunbarlanja, and historically referred to as Oenpelli) is an Aboriginal Australian town in west Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia, about east of Darwin. The main language spoken in the community is Kunwi ...

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

. Guymala is a skilled musician and toured across

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

with both the Mimih and

Nabarlek Nabarleks (''Petrogale concinna''), are a tiny species of macropod found in northern Australia. They are a shy and nocturnal animal that resides in rocky hollows and forages in the surrounding area. Their diet is grasses, sedges, and ferns foun ...

bands before turning to painting. Guymala wrote many songs about traditional stories and country in his time as a musician. Guymala also worked as a member of the Warddeken Rangers where he controlled feral animals, protected

rock art In archaeology, rock art is human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type also ...

sites, and managed controlled burns of country.

Career

Guymala began painting in 2010, influenced by his grandfather Namerredje Guymala who painted on barks and rock shelters. Guymala's early works are characteristic of traditional Kunwinjku style and feature a mixture of

rarrk Bark painting is an Australian Aboriginal art form, involving painting on the interior of a strip of tree bark. This is a continuing form of artistic expression in Arnhem Land (especially among the Yolngu peoples) and other regions in the Top ...

(cross-hatching) and rock-art style to portray kangaroos, fish, crows, and mimihs. It did not take long for Guymala to begin experimenting with different forms creating his own interpretation of single line ''rarrk'' using unrefined ochres. Guymala has mastered the art of painting with ''manyilk'', a thin

sedge The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' wit ...

brush to apply line after line, layer upon layer to his compositions. Guymala's work is often considered playful and features his day-to-day life out bush. He paints primarily for

Injalak Arts Injalak Arts (also known as Injalak Arts and Crafts) is a non-profit, community owned Aboriginal art centre located in Gunbalanya in West Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. It was incorporated in 1989. It is known for artists wo ...

Residency at the University of Virginia

In January 2020, Guymala traveled to

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...

for the opening of the exhibitions ''The Inside World'' at The

Fralin Museum of Art The Fralin Museum of Art is an art museum at the University of Virginia. Before 2012, it was known as the University of Virginia Art Museum. It occupies the historic Thomas H. Bayly Building on Rugby Road in Charlottesville, Virginia, a short dis ...

and ''Munguyhmunguyh (Forever)'' which was organized by the

Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia houses one of the finest Indigenous Australian art collections in the world, rivaling many of the collections held in Australia. It is the only museum outside Australia dedica ...

. Guymala was able to view works in the Kluge-Ruhe collection produced by his grandfather. During his time at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

, Guymala created his first limited-edition print, working with master-print Akemi Ohira in the McIntire Department of Art to produce a linoprint on mulberry paper. He also performed his songs on radio station WTJU and in performances at The Fralin Museum of Art.

Collections

of the

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) is the main museum in the Northern Territory. The museum is located in the inner Darwin suburb of Fannie Bay. The MAGNT is governed by the Board of the Museum and Art Gallery of the ...

Significant exhibitions

* 2016: ''Rising Stars.'' Outstation Gallery, Darwin, NT. *2017: ''Salon des Refusés.'' Charles Darwin University Art Gallery,

Charles Darwin University Charles Darwin University (CDU) is an Australian public university with a main campus in Darwin and eight satellite campuses in some metropolitan and regional areas. It was established in 2003 after the merger of Northern Territory University, ...

, Darwin, NT. *2018: Joe Guymala is in the Building. ''Provenance Arts.'' Darwin, NT. *2018: The 35th Telstra

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards The National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA) is Australia's longest running Indigenous art award. Established in 1984 as the National Aboriginal Art Award by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwi ...

, Darwin, NT. *2019-2020: ''The Inside World: Contemporary Aboriginal Australian Memorial Poles.''

Nevada Museum of Art The Nevada Museum of Art, is an art museum in Reno, Nevada. Located at 160 West Liberty Street in Reno, it is the only American Alliance of Museums (AAM) accredited art museum in the state of Nevada. The museum has chosen a thematic approach, placi ...

, Reno, NV;

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, or The Wright, is located in Detroit, Michigan in the U.S.; inside the city's Midtown Cultural Center is one of the world's oldest independent African American museums. Founded in 1965, ...

, Detroit, MI; The Fralin Museum of Art,

, Charlottesville, VA;

Frost Art Museum The Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum (Frost Art Museum) is an art museum located in the Modesto A. Maidique campus of Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida. It was founded in 1977 as 'The Art Museum at Florida Internatio ...

Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in Miami-Dade County. Founded in 1965, the school opened its doors to students in 1972. FIU has grown to become the third-largest uni ...

, Miami, FL. *2020: ''Munguyhmunguyh (Forever): Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the John W. Kluge Injalak Commission.'' The Upper West Oval Room of The Rotunda at the University of Virginia

References

External links

* http://salondesrefuses.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/SALON17-catalogue-lowres-7-AUG.pdf
www.wtju.net/joeguymala/.Gallery Tour with Gabriel Maralngurra and Joe Guymala
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guymala, Joe Australian Aboriginal artists People from the Northern Territory Living people 1969 births Australian contemporary artists