Year Of Birth

c. 1897

Year Of Death

1976

Biography

Yirawala was born at Marugulidban in Arnhem Land, a ceremony leader, law carrier and healer of the Gunwinggu people. He inherited from his father the sacred designs, songs and stories that grounded his practice, and spent a lifetime moving through the ritual life of his country. By the early 1970s his bark paintings had earned him an MBE, the International Art Co-operation Award for best artist in Australia in 1971, and the attention of museums and collectors around the world. The recognition was remarkable. By the early 1970s he had become 'as famous for his bark art, as Albert Namatjira was for his landscapes.'* Pablo Picasso, having seen his works, is reported to have said: 'That is what I have been trying to achieve all my life.'** What struck those who encountered his paintings was their sheer verve, and quality of aesthetic innovation that continues to be acknowledged by contemporary Kuninjku artists and academics alike. *McLean, Ian W., ed. How Aborigines Invented the Idea of Contemporary Art: Writings on Aboriginal Contemporary Art. Sydney: Power Publications and Institute of Modern Art, 2011, 29 **Holmes, Sandra Le Brun. Yirawala: Painter of the Dreaming. Sydney: Hale and Iremonger, 1992, 1