Celebrating Craft Victoria Award Winners Damien Wright and Bonhula Yunupingu

Craft Award winner – The Excellence award
Recognising the highest achievement in creativity, innovation and design. Supported by the Bowness Family Foundation.

Awarded to Damien Wright and Bonhula Yunupingu
Title: Rom’mirri (Keeper of the Law), 2021

Bala ga Lili Rom’mirri (Keeper of the Law)
2021. Gadayka, 10,000-year-old Ancient Red Gum, copper wire, 3000 x 1000 x 1500 mm

Rom’mirri (Keeper of the Law) is a light. His light is from within. His power shows us the way. It’s all about balance and being level-level, Ma.

Bala ga lili (Two ways Learning) is an ongoing, circular cross cultural collaboration between Damien Wright of Melbourne and Bonhula Yunupingu, a Yolngu man of North East Arhnem Land. Wright and Yunupingu first met in 2010 when Wright was invited by Gumatj elder Galarrwuy Yunupigu to establish a furniture craft studio in his homeland community of Gunyangara.

Today, Wright and Yunupingu work together to find a sculptural and poetic language. They tell a disruptive narrative: theirs is a disruptive relationship. What should look like a contradiction is a promise. What should keep one apart, draws us together. Wright and Yunupingu are represented by Gallery Sally Dan Cuthbert.Rom’ mirri’ (keeper of the law) winner of the Victorian Craft award for excellence Bonhula Yunupingu and Damien Wright. Level-level Bala ga Lili (two ways learning)

Read more about their work together here.

See more from the Craft Victoria Awards here
See more of Damien Wrights work on his website here
Follow Damien on Instagram here