Narritjin Maymuru Yirrkala Bark Painter
Narritjin Maymuru (also recorded as Naridjin, Naritjin, Narridjin, or Ngaradjin) stands among the most celebrated and prolific bark painters of Yirrkala in north-east Arnhem Land, his work revered for its cultural authority, technical mastery, and deep connection to Yolŋu ancestral narratives. Central to Narritjin Maymuru’s art is the depiction of ancestral journeys, most notably the travels of Guwak, the koel cuckoo, whose movements across country with Marrngu, the possum, are of profound ceremonial significance. As the two ancestral beings journeyed through the land, they shaped its very geography—creating the lagoons and sand dunes of Narritjin’s homeland. These stories are not mere illustrations but acts of cultural preservation, transmitting sacred knowledge and law through ochre on eucalyptus bark. His paintings exhibit the refined balance of intricate rarrk (cross-hatching), precise figurative elements, and the spatial composition characteristic of Yirrkala masters, yet they are instantly recognisable for their unique narrative clarity and symbolic depth.
This article serves as a detailed guide for collectors, curators, and enthusiasts seeking to identify works by Narritjin Maymuru. By comparing key examples of his paintings, it outlines the recurring motifs, compositional structures, and iconographic signatures that distinguish his hand from that of other Yirrkala artists. Whether examining the rhythmic flow of his clan designs, the placement of Guwak and Marrngu within the pictorial field, or the way he integrates sacred geometric patterning with figurative storytelling, understanding these hallmarks is essential for accurate attribution.
Narritjin Maymuru – Art Style and Distinctive Characteristics
The bark paintings of Narritjin Maymuru are immediately recognisable for their structured, almost architectural composition. He frequently divided his works into schematic panels, separated by both vertical and horizontal banding, creating a formal framework within which his ancestral narratives unfold. The backgrounds of these panels are meticulously infilled with rarrk—fine cross-hatching—executed with natural ochres and a human-hair brush, long after modern alternatives had become available. His rarrk fields often incorporate traditional Yolŋu motifs: diamonds, rows of dashes, anvil shapes, and distinctive “X” patterns, each carrying cultural significance.
Against these intricate, optically vibrant grounds, Maymuru set stark figurative elements—human, animal, and spirit beings—typically rendered in black or with minimal internal patterning. This contrast between the richly worked rarrk and the formal, almost hieratic figures creates a powerful visual tension, lending his compositions both clarity and authority. Among his recurring subjects are possums, representing Marrngu, the creator ancestor of his Manggalili people—a figure whose story he learned from his mother’s maternal grandfather, the renowned elder and artist Birrikidji Gumana.
In Maymuru’s work, human and animal forms are often depicted with black faces, presented frontally or in profile, static yet deeply symbolic. The compositional discipline and restrained figuration heighten the spiritual gravity of his narratives, while his sustained commitment to natural pigments and traditional tools underscores his role as a cultural custodian.
Although Narritjin Maymuru occasionally produced East Arnhem Land sculptures, it is his bark paintings that command the greatest attention from collectors and institutions. They stand not only as works of exceptional aesthetic refinement but also as enduring vessels of Yolŋu law, ceremony, and ancestral memory—making them among the most sought-after examples of Yirrkala painting in the 20th century.
Narritjin Maymuru – Biography
Born into the rich cultural landscape of East Arnhem Land, Narritjin Maymuru spent his formative years living traditionally, hunting and gathering across the ancestral territories between Blue Mud Bay and Caledon Bay. As a young man, he worked alongside Fred Gray in the trepang (sea cucumber) industry, engaging in one of the region’s earliest cross-cultural commercial enterprises.
In 1935, shortly after the founding of the Yirrkala Mission, Narritjin moved to the settlement and became one of the first Yolŋu people to embrace Christianity. Far from abandoning his heritage, he emerged as a mediator and leader, working closely with missionaries to broker peace among Yolŋu groups and to halt cycles of inter-clan conflict. His ability to navigate both Yolŋu and Balanda (non-Indigenous) worlds was a hallmark of his life’s work.
Narritjin’s first lessons in bark painting came from his father, Lotama Guthitjpuy, and were further refined under the guidance of his maternal grandfather, the eminent Birrikidji Gumana. From these elders, he inherited not only precise technical skills but also the sacred narratives and ceremonial responsibilities of the Manggalili clan. Throughout his life, Narritjin sought to educate his children and community in both traditional Yolŋu law and the emerging realities of the modern world.
In the mid-1970s, his vision turned towards self-determination. He was instrumental in establishing the Djarrakpi (Cape Shield) outstation, a return-to-country movement that reasserted clan sovereignty and reconnected younger generations with their ancestral lands. Today, Narritjin Maymuru is celebrated not only for his masterful bark paintings but also for his role as a cultural diplomat, educator, and leader—an artist whose life and work bridged worlds while remaining deeply rooted in Yolŋu tradition.
Legacy
Narritjin taught all his children, both boys, and girls, to do bark painting. Many of his children have become successful artists in their own right. Narritjin always tried to convey to non-Aboriginal Australians respect for Yolngu culture. His art ties Yolngu culture to the land. His older brother Nanyin was also a bark painter
A man of great traditional wisdom and known amongst his people as Guduwurru, (the western equivalent would be a philosopher). He assisted Birrikitji and Munggurrawuy Yunupingu with painting the Yirritja church panels. The church panels are now housed in the Buku-Larrnggay Museum.
Other artists involved in painting the church panels include Wandjuk Marika, Mawalan Marika
Narritjin Maymuru is sometimes spelled Narritjin Maymary, Naradin Maymuru, Narritjin Maymaru. It can also be Ngaradjin Maymuru, Narratchin Maymuru, Narrachin Maymura, or Naridjin Maymuru. Naritjun Maymuru, Naritzin Maymuru, Narritjin Maymurra, Narritjin Maymurru or Narritjin Maymura.
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Meaning of Narritjin Maymuru Bark Paintings
Marngu the Possum
Long ago, in the Sky World, the creator spirit Barama watched the Manggalilji people tear themselves apart in a bitter feud. Saddened, he called his companion Munjurr and gave him a task: “Find Marngu the opossum and tell him to remind the people of my law — quarrels must be judged before all, and the guilty speared so they bleed but do not die. The blood will cleanse the wrong, and peace will return.”
Munjurr took the form of Guwarg, a black-feathered bird with red eyes, and flew over coast, forest, and swamp in search of Marngu. But everywhere he looked, he saw only ambushes, spear fights, and shouting children. The opossum was nowhere to be found.
One evening, weary and discouraged, Guwarg perched in the sacred tree Waligul at Djeragbi, whose branches reached the Sky World. Cicadas buzzed around him, promising to help, but their search also failed.
Then, as night deepened, Guwarg heard scratching in the trunk. Out peered an opossum. “Is that you, Marngu?” Guwarg called. Marngu climbed out and sat beside him. “I sleep by day,” the opossum explained.
Under the moonlight, Guwarg delivered Barama’s message. The next morning, Marngu transformed into a man, gathered the warring Manggalilji, and told them the law. Since no one could agree who was guilty, each side chose three to be speared in the thigh. As the blood fell, the people danced and sang — the feud was over.
To this day, Guwarg flies only at night to visit Marngu in the Waligul tree. The cicadas still carry messages, and the patterns crabs leave in the sand are painted on bodies and bark to remember the night the opossum and the bird brought peace to the people.
Ŋuykal the kingfish
The central figurative motif is Ŋuykal, the ancestral kingfish. In the Waŋarr — the time of creation — a spiritual being named Ŋulumun journeyed inland to a rocky outcrop within the riverbed. There, he underwent a sacred metamorphosis, transforming from a human hunter into the powerful kingfish. In ceremonial dances, this moment is vividly evoked: performers grasp a spear-thrower behind their backs, swaying it side to side to mimic the rhythmic flick of the fish’s tail.
According to Yolŋu tradition, the smaller fish that gather around the Dhukururru at Wayawupuy are the fingerlings of Ŋuykal. These young kingfish are said to undertake a hidden passage to the saltwater, travelling through a subterranean tunnel beneath the Dhuḏi-Djapu’ clan estate of Dhuruputjpi. Beside the image of Ŋuykal in the composition, the fingerlings are depicted.
