Masterpieces for the Nation Fund 2012 The Masterpieces for the Nation Fund 2012 Yirawala was born around 1901 and grew up will assist in acquiring Kuninjku artist Yirawala’s surrounded by the rich culture on his traditional exquisite figurative bark painting Kundaagi—red lands in the Northern Territory. He learnt the sacred plains kangaroo 1962. This powerful painting depicts Kuninjku designs, songs and stories from his father the climactic moment of an ancestral story related to Nowaritj, a senior Kuninjku leader. By the 1950s, traditional burial ceremonies of the Kuninjku people Yirawala was also acknowledged as a senior cultural of western Arnhem Land. leader. He was a strong advocate for land rights and a teacher of his culture, both to his people and to The image refers to the Dreaming period, when an outsiders. The British Government honoured his evil mimih spirit captured Kundaagi the kangaroo achievements in 1971 with an MBE (Member of and ceremonially killed and ate him. Kundaagi’s the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire). mother, on seeing her son, collected his bones He was actively painting from the 1960s until his and mourned. She sang songs, applied clan designs death in 1976. on a hollow log coffin and ritually placed his skeletal remains inside. The coffin was placed on This is an extraordinary masterwork by Yirawala. a ceremonial site and left to deteriorate, exposed It was part of the Sandra and Amanda Holmes to the elements. This mortuary practice, which collection, which was in part acquired by the facilitates the travel of the deceased into the afterlife, Gallery in 1976. Kundaagi—red plains kangaroo was became the ritual enacted by all western Arnhem prized as one of their most important and beloved Land people when a member of their family dies. works and remained in their private collection until recently. The distinct X-ray style of Kundaagi—red plains kangaroo and the depiction of sacred clan designs Its inclusion in the Masterpieces for the Nation can be found in the ancient rock art of the region. Fund is a key opportunity to reunite this exceptional The white background is commonly used by work with its original family of Yirawala’s bark Yirawala in his paintings, but only a few of his barks paintings and reasserts the artist’s position as a key in the national collection show this important aspect figure in the story of Australian art. of his work. Masterpieces for the Masterpieces for the Masterpieces for the Nation Fund 2012 Nation Fund 2012 Nation Fund 2012 Title: ❑ Mr ❑ Mrs ❑ Ms ❑ other Name: (in full) The Masterpieces for the Nation Fund is an Address: opportunity for generous donors at all levels to assist with the acquisition of a significant work of art for State: Postcode: the national art collection. Telephone: (private) (business) Since it was initiated in 2003, the Masterpieces for Email: the Nation Fund has assisted the National Gallery ❑ I would like my donation to be acknowledged as follows: of Australia to acquire ten master works by Please note: name/s will be printed in full (eg Joseph Smith and Janet Smith) important Australian and international artists from different periods. These works include Tom Roberts’s ❑ I would like my donation to remain anonymous magnificent Shearing shed, Newstead 1893–94, Yirawala (c 1901–1976) For the amount: ❑ $50 ❑ $100 ❑ other Sydney Long’s lyrical Flamingoes c 1905–06, William Kuninjku people Kundaagi—red plains kangaroo 1962 Robinson’s evocative Creation landscape—fountains of natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark Please select one of the following payment options: the earth 2002, Robert Dowling’s impressive painting 101 x 45 cm ❑ Please charge the above amount to the following credit card: © estate of the artist, represented by Aboriginal Artists Agency ❑ Visa ❑ MasterCard ❑ Diners Club ❑ American Express Miss Robertson of Colac (Dolly) 1885–86 and, most recently, Nora Heysen’s striking Self-portrait 1932. Cardholder’s name: This year, for the first time, an Aboriginal bark Card no.: Expiry date: National Gallery of Australia painting has been selected for the Masterpieces Foundation Office Signature: for the Nation Fund. The painting, Kundaagi—red Tel (02) 6240 6454 or plains kangaroo 1962, is by Kunwinjku artist Yirawala [email protected] ❑ I enclose a cheque made out to the National Gallery of Australia (c 1901–1976), who is widely recognised as the GPO Box 1150 Foundation for the amount indicated above. Canberra ACT 2601 master of Arnhem Land bark painting Please return to: National Gallery of Australia Foundation GPO Box 1150, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia and the father of much recent bark painting. Please tick relevant boxes: It must be considered one of his most remarkable ❑ Please send me information about making a bequest to the Foundation. works and, with your generous assistance, it will ❑ Please send me information about the National Gallery of have a permanent position on the walls of our Australia Foundation and/or the Cultural Gifts Program. Indigenous galleries. The National Gallery of Australia is an Australian Government Agency The National Gallery of Australia is collecting the information on this form to process your contribution and your preference for further information about Gallery fundraising. This information will not be given to a third party other than in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988..