Djawida Nadjongorle

Djawida Nadjongorle was born in 1943 in the remote bushlands of Dialbangurr, his father’s country in Western Arnhem Land. His family later relocated to the nearby community of Oenpelli (now Gunbalanya), where both his parents worked in the buffalo industry as skinners and salters. Djawida attended school in Oenpelli and spent much of his childhood in the area, though his family would occasionally return to their ancestral lands. It was during these trips that Djawida developed an interest in art, beginning by replicating traditional rock paintings he encountered, focusing on depictions of animals and Mimi spirits. He also left his mark through hand and foot stencils on rock surfaces. A self-taught artist, Djawida learned to grind ochres and apply them in painting. Over time, he transitioned from rock art to painting on bark and, later in his career, on paper. In addition to painting, he also crafted traditional tools such as spears and didgeridoos. Djawida’s art reflects stories from several ancestral lands: his father’s country at Dialbangurr, his mother’s country at Kudjekbinj (which includes the Nawurra story), and his grandmother’s land near Manmoyi.