Bula'Bula Arts
About Bula’Bula Arts
From fibre art to paintings depicting traditional stories—internationally renowned Bula’bula Arts supports 150 artist members from Ramingining and its surrounding outstations. Artists receive 60% of the retail sales price of the artwork, with the remainder used for all operational costs. Our arts centre is an iconic tropical elevation style building in the heart of the Ramingining community in Central Arnhem Land, 400 kilometres east of Darwin.
Our Name
Local artists coined the name Bula’Bula meaning the voice/tongue of Gandayala (red kangaroo) Ramingining’s Creation Being. The name represents the message in the song cycle of the red kangaroo’s journey from the Roper River to the Ramingining region. The story is depicted in unique Ramingining-style—steeped in spiritual, ritual and historical narratives across a variety of mediums: print, painting, sculpture, fibre art, song, dance, as well as film and literature mediums.
Ramingining Fame
The Aboriginal Memorial, conceived by Djon Mundine OAM for the Bicentenary of Australia, is an installation of 200 hollow log coffins, a celebration of 200 years of European settlement. Many Indigenous Australians felt that there was little to celebrate. It commemorates all the Indigenous people who, since 1788, have lost their lives defending their land. The artists who created this installation intended that it be located in a public place where it could be preserved for future generations. It now finds its home at the National Gallery of Australia.
The now extinct Australian one-dollar note featured David Malangi Daymirringu’s bark painting, Mortuary feast of Gurrmirringu. This marked the first Aboriginal copyright dispute, as the Reserve Bank did not seek permission to reproduce Malangi’s artwork.
Governance
Our locally elected Directors meet bi-monthly to work with the Executive Director to ensure the preservation and fostering of Yolngu culture, its role within the community, as well as maintaining a strong artistic profile.
Current Directors
Andrew Wanamilil, Chair
Angela Banyawarra, Vice-Chair
Shannon Ashley, JB Fisher, Joy Borruwa, Daphne Banyawarra and Joy Burruna.