JOHNNY BULUN BULUN

Bulunbulun was a renowned healer and ceremonial singer as well as a Arnhem land major painter of his generation. Born in 1946 beside the Arafura Swamp in Central Arnhem Land, he was a member of the Gurrambakurramba clan, and played a key role in important ceremonies such as birth (Marradjiri), initiation (Djapi), and mortuary/funeral (Murrkundjeh) ceremonies.

Bulun Bulun learned painting and ceremonial traditions from his father, Ngarritj, his uncle Peter Bandjurldjurl, and from renowned bark painter George Milpurrurru whom he considered his second father. His homeland was Ngaliyindi, though he later moved to Maningrida, the township and service centre where he continued his artistic career.

During the early years, Bulun Bulun worked at various jobs, but he eventually returned to painting, working at the Bawanunga Art Centre in Maningrida. His style became renowned for its intricate balance, symmetry, and the meticulous layering of designs, especially those associated with traditional ceremonies.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Bulun Bulun collaborated with Yorta Yorta artist Lin Onus, his adoptive nephew, and explored new mediums and he became one of the first Yolŋu artists to produce limited edition prints and experiment with lithography. His works gained national and international recognition, featuring in exhibitions across the world, including the USA, Japan, Germany, Spain, and France.

In 1989, Bulun Bulun won a landmark case in Indigenous intellectual property rights against a Queensland company that illegally reproduced his artwork on t-shirts. This case, Bulun Bulun v R & T Textiles (1998), set an important precedent for protecting Aboriginal artists' rights.

Throughout his career, Johnny Bulun Bulun's work highlighted his deep connection to his country and culture. In 1993, he led a group of Yolŋu performers to Ujung Pandang (Makassar) in Sulawesi to stage a ceremony, Marayarr Murrukundja, that re-established relations between the Ganalbiŋu and the Makasar. His large-scale commissions, such as the Ganalpingu Cosmology in Sydney, and performances of the Ganalbingu ceremony in Indonesia, reflected centuries of cultural exchange with the Macassan people. His work was included in several seminal exhibitions of Aboriginal art, most notably Aratjara – art of the first Australians, which toured Europe in 1993–94.

In 2001, he won the Bark Painting section of the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, and in 2004, he was honoured with the Red Ochre Award for lifetime achievement in the arts.

© Adrian Newstead