Milminyina Dhamarrandji

Date of Birth - 8.9.1960
Moiety - Dhuwa
Homeland - Ruwak, Ringari
Clan - Djambarrpuyngu
Clan Language - Dhuwal

Milminyina (pictured above with her granddaughter Dhänggal #3) was born in 1960 at Wirrwawuy, near Yirrkala and Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula, at the very northeastern tip of the Northern Territory. She is the daughter of Gumatj woman Rrirraliny Yunupingu (a daughter of famous artist and political figure Mungurrawuy Yunupingu), and Gunguyuma Dhamarrandji, an adopted son of Wonggu Mununggurr. Her märi, or mother's mother's clan, is Rirratjingu, the landowners of Yirrkala, who share many sacra and designs with the Djambarrpuyngu of this area.

She was taught to paint and weave by her mother, having grown up watching her work. She was educated at Dhupuma College, on her mother's Gumatj land at Gulkula, and attended workshops at Wollongong University in printing and etching in 1996. She also painted on ceramics and assisted with Djalu' Gurruwiwi's yidaki business, painting on instruments, while residing on Gumatj land at Gunyangara' from the 1990's, until relocating to her märi land at Yirrkala in 2003 and on to Gälaru in 2006. She has sold paintings on canvas for years and is now expanding her presence with bark paintings and larrakitj (hollow log coffins) at Buku-Larrnggay Mulka. She also very much enjoys painting yidaki for us. Please let us know if you are interested in her work.

At right are some of her yidaki, paintings of the Djambarrpuyngu, Rirratjingu, Gälpu and Gumatj clans.

Click Here for Milminyina's archive.

samples of Milminyina's work