User:JosieAlexandra/Baluka Maymuru

Baluka Maymuru was born in 1947, and was the son of Näyin’ Maymuru. Bulka's the older brother to Narritjin Maymuru, who is one of the most famous artist from Yirrkala. Bulka is the current head of the Maŋgalili clan. The Maŋgalili clan is one of Yirritja moiety. Throughout his time as an artist, his paintings have been in many collections including: Art Gallery of Western Australia, Australian Institute of aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Australian National Maritime Museum, Berndt Museum of Anthropology at the University of Western Australia, Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia, National Gallery of Australia, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, National Gallery of Victoria, National Museum of Australian, and Seattle Art Museum. He is also one of the handful of artists to have produced work for both the 1996 John W. Kluge commission and the 2017-19 Kluge Ruhe Madayin commission. In addition to his participation in many collections, he has also won the Wandjuk Marika 3D Memorial Award at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award twice, once in 1987 and once in 2006.

All of his paintings are done on bark with natural pigments. He mostly paints images that represent saltwater. Baluka painted some of his barks for the saltwater project, which was an effort by the Yolŋu people of East Arnhem land to affirm ownership of the saltwater coastline. Through the paintings they represent their laws, stories, and customs, as these are fundamental to the clans belonging to the Yirritja Moiety of the Maŋgalili clan.

In addition, these saltwater paintings were used as evidence in the Blue Mud Bay Native title case. This case in the high court of Australia gave the traditional owners control of all access to the coastal waters along 80% of the northern territory coastline.

His work The Other Djarrakpi, 2017, is in the Madayin exhibition.