Numbulwar Numburindi Arts Numbulwar, NT

BUILT ON SELF-DETERMINATION, NUMBULWAR NUMBURINDI ARTS (NNA) IS A COLLECTIVE OF ARTISTS WHOSE MISSION IS TO KEEP CULTURE STRONG.

Established in 2019, Numbulwar’s first art centre is 100 per cent owned and controlled by the community. Born from the community’s desire to practice and engage with traditional culture, NNA is a space for artistic and cultural expression.

Champions of fibre art, NNA artists marry naturally-dyed and locally-harvested pandanus with bright and bold ghost nets, abandoned fishing line retrieved from Numbulwar’s shoreline. Our Wulbung (baskets) and Yir (dillybags) fit as naturally in traditional applications as they do in contemporary, urban environments.

This year, we are excited to present new paintings alongside our beloved fibre art. Numbulwar has a long history of painting on found materials. Originally painting on bark, artists later painted with ochres on Masonite boards during the mission days. The paintings available at this year's Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair utilise found materials such as cardboard and metal; each work telling stories of the Country from which they come.

Numbulwar sits on the Rose River and belongs to the Nunggayinbala clan, one of the Wubuy or Nunggubuyu speaking clans from the region. Ceremonial activities are still very important within the region and occur regularly.