Gunybi Ganambarr
Gunybi Ganambarr hails from the Ganhan homeland in the Northern Territory’s North East Arnhem Land and has worked as an artist primarily at the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre in Yirrkala since 2002.
Gunybi has had the instinct to introduce radical new forms without offending community tolerance. He has developed novel forms such as double sided barks, heavily sculpted poles, incised barks, ironwood sculpture, inserting sculptures into poles. After his sold out show at Annandale Galleries in Sydney in late 2009, where he received great acclaim and press coverage, he returned home with a renewed vigour. He immediately moved into using found materials on his own initiative and with the blessing of his mentors.
In 2011 he won the West Australian Indigenous Art Award. In late 2011 he was awarded a Myer Foundation Creative Fellowship for two years and shortlisted for a major public art project in collaboration with Urban Art Projects. He was honoured by inclusion in the National Gallery of Australia’s National Indigenous Art Triennial in 2012. He received the Myer Cultural fellowship and held the massively successful Annandale Galleries show From my Mind, the same year.
Gunybi is an energetic participant in ceremonial life who is always cheerful with a robust sense of humour; and is a natural leader amongst his peers. His vigorous zest for life sees him throw himself into whatever activity he is engaged in. He is married to Lamangirra Marawili a daughter of Djambawa Marawili.
