Guykuḏa Munuŋgurr

Guykuḏa’s father was Djayala Munuŋgurr, whose father was Djayak, whose father in turn was famous Djapu clan elder and “king of Arnhem Land” Woŋgu. His mother was Gumatj woman Larrakan Munuŋgiritj. He is married to Bininydjiwuy Wunuŋmurra, who sometimes paints the yidaki and sculptures that he makes. They split their time between the Djapu homeland of Garrthalala and the Dhalwaŋu clan homeland at Gurrumuru – her home / his waku clan’s (mother’s mother’s mother’s).

Guykuḏa is the foremost sculptor of large scale naturalistic 3D works in NE Arnhem. He draws from nature but this can bring him into conflict with Yolŋu law. Everything within the whole Yolŋu cosmos has a specific identity which relates to a particular clan ownership. For example, a crocodile is not just a crocodile, but an ancestor of the Maḏarrpa clan transformed through fire and an embodiment of their essence.

When his representations of powerful totemic beings has been deemed to transgress disciplines he has had to abandon half finished works. His response has been to borrow more widely from non-sacred forms including such fantastic beings as Angels, Werewolves and Mermen.

Within all of these radical new works the central emotion is the joy of manually creating these shapes out of nothing but the bush timber which surrounds his remote homeland and the rocks from the ground. He is thrilled and satisfied by the act of rendering his imagination real. When asked about the deeper meaning of such works his common response is “it’s just art”.