Gaypalani Wanambi

Gaypalani is the eldest child of famous artist Wukun Wanambi. She had assisted him in creating art since 2003. Their family home doubled as an art studio from her earliest years. The back or front verandah or the lounge room would invariably be the scene of art production with a large pole or bark being worked on by her parents and numerous siblings. These sessions would frequently go through the night.  Mr.Wanambi’s renditions of thousands of tiny fish demanded ultimate patience and precision. She carried much of the workload of assisting him in this including grinding the ochre pigments. Before his sudden death in 2022 she had begun to produce work in her own right and under her name with his blessing. By this time he had broadened his practice to include extensive digital work and was also an enthusiastic member of the Found group of artists whose engraved recycled road signs were launched in the Murrŋiny exhibition in 2021. After her father’s passing cultural protocol required her to avoid using his trademark designs relating to the oceanic estate of Guḏultja. Instead she began to create artwork from the epic song poetry relating to the journeys of Wuyal. This theme connects to the life cycle of bees, honey and stringybark blossom and the Marrakulu homeland of Gurka’wuy.

She has three children and is married to Djulkapuy Marawili.