‘My head is full up with ideas’
Apolline Kohen
Not long after I met John Mawurndjul, he told me ‘my head is full up with ideas’. When I began work at Maningrida Arts and Culture in 2002 I quickly realised that he was bubbling with ideas and undeniable talent. He was passionate about art and, most definitely, about his own work. John never derailed from his objectives and was always enthusiastic about new projects. His eccentricities never got in the way; rather, they added fun and spice to our professional partnership and made our frequent travels less dull. I always knew when John was about to bring an exceptional work into the art centre. Before even seeing the work, I could tell from his smile and contagious laugh that he had made something special.
Mawurndjul’s list of his achievements is too long to be recapped here, but I believe that the 2003 Clemenger Contemporary Art Award is the most significant artistic accolade he has ever received. It was the only time I saw him crying for joy on hearing the news of winning an award. He felt his work was finally recognised and judged on an equal footing with ‘balanda art’ (non-Aboriginal art) in a ‘balanda art competition’. His cry was also of relief: the journey to producing the works had been rocky. He had suffered from so-called artist’s block and the pressure had been immense.
Another high point for John was the Musée du Quai Branly Australian Indigenous Art Commission in 2006, for which he painted a large column, with the help of a few other hands, and supervised the painting of the museum bookshop’s ceiling. This required three long trips away from home, including one that lasted over a month. Despite missing his family, the bush, hunting and his pet buffalo, John embraced his temporary Parisian lifestyle, leaving a permanent reminder of his Kurulk clan estate in the fabric of one of the most iconic cities in the world.
At a party for the launch of the commission, the French President Jacques Chirac casually introduced Mawurndjul to his wife as le maître (the master). To me, there is still no better description of Mawurndjul’s status as one of Australia’s greatest contemporary artists.
Mawurndjul’s list of his achievements is too long to be recapped here, but I believe that the 2003 Clemenger Contemporary Art Award is the most significant artistic accolade he has ever received. It was the only time I saw him crying for joy on hearing the news of winning an award. He felt his work was finally recognised and judged on an equal footing with ‘balanda art’ (non-Aboriginal art) in a ‘balanda art competition’. His cry was also of relief: the journey to producing the works had been rocky. He had suffered from so-called artist’s block and the pressure had been immense.
Another high point for John was the Musée du Quai Branly Australian Indigenous Art Commission in 2006, for which he painted a large column, with the help of a few other hands, and supervised the painting of the museum bookshop’s ceiling. This required three long trips away from home, including one that lasted over a month. Despite missing his family, the bush, hunting and his pet buffalo, John embraced his temporary Parisian lifestyle, leaving a permanent reminder of his Kurulk clan estate in the fabric of one of the most iconic cities in the world.
At a party for the launch of the commission, the French President Jacques Chirac casually introduced Mawurndjul to his wife as le maître (the master). To me, there is still no better description of Mawurndjul’s status as one of Australia’s greatest contemporary artists.
We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land and waters of those venues hosting the John Mawurndjul exhibition on its tour of Australia.