Aboriginal Fine Art

Tribe: Warlpiri

Area: Central and Western Desert, Northern Territory

Born: 1955

Biography:

Malcolm Jagamarra was born in the Australian outback in 1955. He is the son of Minnie Napanangka, a Warlpiri woman, and Gerry Maloney an Irish bushman. As a child Malcolm lived the traditional way of life and travelled the land on walkabout with his mother and family.
At the time, as part of the ‘Aboriginal Assimilation Program’, all Aboriginal children were taken from their families and placed in western environments. Because of this, Malcolm’s mother would hide him whenever they visited a white homestead.
At the age of six, Malcolm was discovered by the authorities and taken to Adelaide where he spent the next eighteen years. He matriculated from Adelaide Boys High School in 1972 and stared in League Football for North Adelaide until 1975. In 1978 Malcolm returned to Alice Springs and was reunited with his family for the first time since 1960. In 1983 Malcolm underwent manhood initiation ceremonies he had missed as a boy. It was then that he learnt the secret songs and dances of his tribe, the Lander River Warlpiri.
Malcolm’s art evolved from his tribe’s ceremonies. Aboriginal paintings were originally daubed on the ground and on the bodies of the people and were therefore not preserved. Since 1971 they have been preserved in the form of acrylic paint on canvas.
“It has given everyone a chance to learn about Aboriginal Dreamings”, says Jagamarra. “Our art reflects not just the land but its mythology, song and dance”. The symbols are called “iconography” and are the oldest in the world.
Malcolm was the first Aboriginal artist to use oils on his paintings and he is the leader in his style. Malcolm is considered to be one of the most talented and dynamic Aboriginal artists working in Australia and has been instrumental in forging new directions for traditional arts.
In 1993 Malcolm was commissioned by Telecom Australia to create the paintings that appeared on a series of phonecards in celebration of the UN Year of the World’s Indigenous People.
In 2004 Malcolm was publicised for the painting of a cello for the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.

Collections:

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
Berkeley Editions, Australia
Professor Fishe Collection, Germany
The Kelton Collection, Santa Monica, USA
Australian Embassy, New York, USA

Corporate Designs:
Kellogs Australia
Hardy’s Wines, Australia
Duty Free Shoppers, Sydney, Australia
Telecom, Australia
Responsible Drinking Campaign, Northern Territory Government, Australia
Sandscapes, USA