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Djon Mundine OAM: 2020 Red Ochre Award For Lifetime Achievement


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Djon Mundine OAM: Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement

Djon Mundine is a Bandjalung man.

He is a foundational figure in Australian art. He is an intellectual, an activist, and a cultural leader. He is a fierce advocate and a driving force, consistently contributing to the development and exhibition of contemporary Aboriginal art in Australia, and internationally.

Djon was art and craft adviser at Milingimbi in 1979, and curator at Bula-Bula Arts in Ramingining in Arnhem Land Aboriginal communities for sixteen years.

He has held senior curatorial positions at the National Museum of Australia, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Queensland Art Gallery and more, while also working with  regional and community-based organisations across Australia. He has also worked on significant international exhibitions, exposing audiences worldwide to the power of First Nations art.

In 1987 Djon was a founding member of the Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists (ANKAAA). In all his endeavours, he has worked directly with communities and artists to ensure that First Nations voices are heard through the sharing of art.

Djon continues to be an important mentor, encouraging new talent and guiding artists to consistently produce potent, thought provoking artworks and exhibitions, which have great impact on Australia’s cultural landscape.

His insistence that “art is a social act” underlies his practice, cultural leadership and inclusive vision.

 

Learn more about the Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement.