Gordon Barunga

Gordon Barunga, born in Derby in 1961, spent his early life in the Mowanjum Community. The youngest son of community leader Albert Barunga and notable painter Pudja Barunga, Gordon initially worked on cattle stations throughout the Kimberley region before taking up painting himself. Gordon's painting styles alternate between traditional depictions of Wandjina figures and realistic watercolour landscapes reminiscent of Albert Namatjira’s style. His artworks capture his familial connection to Pantijan country, a place he frequently visited during childhood, embedding stories and laws passed down to him. Gordon often uses fine brushwork in his painting to symbolise the falling rain, representing the powerful spiritual presence of the Wandjina figures in his country.