Details Artwork details Artist Art Centre Authenticity Details Aboriginal Artist - Bob Ali Community - Maningrida Homeland - Yilan, Burnbuwa Aboriginal Art Centre - Maningrida Arts and Culture Catalogue number - 1790-23 Materials - Leichhardt Tree with Ochre Pigment and PVA Fixative Size(cm) - H56 W7 D9 Display - Freestanding Artwork details The artist has carved the 'Gomarla', which is the Burarra word for Egret. This bird is native to the country of Yilan, which is the coastal region North West of Maningrida Community. Artist Bob Ali is an established artist whose carved wooden Burarra (Egret) sculptures reflect the coastal region of his country, Yilan. Art Centre An art movement that is striking, political and enduring: this is what contemporary artists in Maningrida and the surrounding homelands have built, powered by their ancestral connections to country and djang. Ways of learning and schools of art in Arnhem Land are based around a system of passing knowledge and information on to others. The art here has its genesis in body design, rock art and cultural practices, in concert with more than 50 years of collaborations, travel and political action to retain ownership of country. Values and law are expressed through language, imagery, manikay (song), bunggul (dance), doloppo bim (bark painting), sculptures, and kun-madj (weaving) – the arts. The artists’ transformation of djang into contemporary artistic expression has intrigued people around the world: art curators and collectors, and stars including Yoko Ono, Jane Campion, David Attenborough and Elton John. Pablo Picasso said of Yirawala’s paintings, ‘This is what I’ve been trying to achieve all my life.’ Yirawala (c.1897–1976) was a legendary Kuninjku leader, artist, land-rights activist and teacher, and his artwork was the first of any Indigenous artist to be collected by the National Gallery of Australia as part of a policy to represent in depth the most significant figures in Australian art. Maningrida Arts & Culture is based on Kunibídji country in Arnhem Land in Australia’s Northern Territory. The area where artists live encompasses 7,000 square kilometres of land and sea, and over 100 clan estates, where people speak more than 12 distinct languages. Aboriginal people in this region are still on country, surviving and resilient because their country is the centre of their epistemology, their belief system, culture – djang. Artists’ works from the larger Maningrida region can be seen in collections and institutions around the world. We work with museums, contemporary galleries and high-end retailers both nationally and internationally on projects throughout the year. Text courtesy: Maningrida Arts and Culture Authenticity This sculpture come with a certificate of authenticity provided by the community-run Aboriginal Art Centre, not us, which is the gold standard for ethical purchasing and documentation. We take great pride in offering high-quality, authentic Aboriginal Art pieces to you and in addition to our 120-day returns(they don't come back), we are pleased to offer a lifetime money-back authenticity guarantee to all customers who purchase Aboriginal Art from us, both past and present. This guarantee covers any disrepute or wrongdoing in association with the authenticity of any Aboriginal artwork ever sold by ART ARK®. We understand that purchasing authentic Aboriginal Art is important to you, and we want to provide you with peace of mind in knowing that you are getting what you expect. We take the authenticity of Aboriginal Art seriously and are committed to providing you with high-quality and genuine works of art. If at any time you have any concerns whatsoever about the authenticity of any art piece, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will investigate further. If we find any wrongdoing or disrepute in regards to the provenance or authenticity of any artwork sold by us we will promptly provide a full refund to you at any time in the future, be it in one year, or in ten! Please find more information on authenticity here: https://artark.com.au/pages/aboriginal-art-authenticity