Aboriginal Australian Artist visit Makassar

The Australian Embassy is proud to bring Aboriginal Australian artist, Ronald Nawurapu Wunungmurra (Nawurapu) to Jakarta and Makassar in conjunction with Australia’s celebration of NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islanders’ Day Observance Committee) Week 2015.

Australians from all walks of life celebrate NAIDOC Week each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year’s theme is “We All Stand on Sacred Ground: Learn, Respect and Celebrate”. This highlights Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ strong spiritual and cultural connections to land and sea.

Nawurapu visited Jakarta to attend the presentation of Yirrkala batik to the Textile Museum yesterday, which is a partnership between the Yirrkala Arts Centre from North East Arnhem Land and a traditional batik-making business in Pekalongan, Central Java. Yirrkala provided an image of a bark painting created by an elder artist-in-residence, Nawurapu with ancestral links to Makassar. The painting shows the connection between the Makassar and Yolngu people. The batik’s triangle design symbolises the ‘departing red sails’ of Makassan traders.

Nawurapu will be visiting Makassar from today until 10 July. Today he will lead an artist discussion ‘Arts and the Indigenous Person’, supported by Rumata Art Space. On Thursday 9 July, he will visit places of historical interest including Port Paotere, Fort Somba Oou and Museum I La Galigo in search of ancestor connections between the Bugis of Makassar and Yolŋu people of Yirrkala, North East Arnhem Land, and Northern Australia.

The Bugis of Makassar traded with the Yolŋu, in search of the highly valued Trepang and were regular visitors to Northern Australia for more than 400 years.

Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Paul Grigson said he hoped the batik presentation, workshops and Nawurapu’s visit would help deepen engagement of people-to-people link between Australia and Indonesia and foster greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures.

Media Enquiries:
Alison Purnell, Cultural Counsellor tel. (021) 2550 5260