Gabriel Maralngurra

Place: Gunbalanya

Born: 1968

Biography:

Gabriel Maralngurra (born 1968) is an artist from the Ngalangbali clan Kunwinjku artist in West Arnhem Land. As an Aboriginal artist, he is well-known and respected within his community for the wide range of responsibilities he takes on. His artwork is displayed in various collections including the Australian Museum, Museum Victoria, and the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia. Gabriel Maralngurra was among the founding members of Injalak Arts in the late 1980s, and continues to be a driving force behind the art centre today. He attributes much of his artistic education to senior painter Thompson Yulidjirri in the early days of Injalak. He is continually inspired by the rock art of West Arnhem Land, always referencing and working within this artistic tradition while pursuing formal innovations and new designs. His knowledge of stories, plants and animals gives him a wide range expressive material. His work has also explored the contact period in the Gunbalanya area, culminating in a solo exhibition ‘Contact’ at Mossenson Galleries in Melbourne in 2006.