Ngaymil People
Born 1973, Yirrkala, Australia
Lives And Works In Gangan, Australia

Gunybi Ganambarr is a Yolngu artist who was born into the small Ngaymil clan in Yirrkala in north-east Arnhem Land. Yolngu artists are particularly known for their contemporary translation of sacred designs on barks and larrakitj (memorial poles) for a broader audience. Ganambarr has extended this practice to incorporate innovative materials with links to mining and industry, forming a reflection on the erosion of Aboriginal land rights. His incised steel and galvanised iron wall works are highly reflective, contrasting with three works created from rubber conveyor belts, a reference to the removal of minerals from Yolngu land through the recently decommissioned Nhulunbuy bauxite mine and alumina refinery. Ganambarr's mentors have included renowned artists Djambawa Marawili and Wanyubi Marika. His work exemplifies the confidence and cultural assertion of a new, experimental Yolngu art, while remaining firmly guided and influenced by elders and senior artists.