Biography:
Sandra Mungulu is a local Mowanjum artist who has a secured an international reputation. Her work is held in numerous private collections.
Calder & Charnley Wandinjinas (2009) was selected for the sharing difference on common ground exhibition, showcasing the work of Kimberley Indigenous artists at the Holmes a Court Gallery in Perth, during October 2009. The project was the brainchild of the KAA collective of Kimberley Art Centres and the exhibition was accompanied by a publication featuring writers such as Judith Ryan and Darren Jorgensen. The exhibition is now touring nationally through Art on the Move.
Sandra started painting in the late 1990’s when she was in her late twenties. She was inspired when, “visiting my late father–in-law David Mowaljarlai. He told us stories of his artworks which he was doing at home.” David was brought up in the missionary settlement at Kunmunya, where Aboriginal culture was accepted and ceremonial practices allowed. People went bush during the wet season and were allowed to take their children with them to fish and hunt and learn their culture’s stories.
As with other artist at Mowanjum, having a place to paint gave old people a chance to talk about the meaning of the Wandjina and transfer their culture to the younger generation. Sandra was one of “the younger generation”. She leant how to paint wandjinas and gyorns gyorns through this process and says that she likes the stories she paints, “learning how to describe the stories on canvas as I paint the pictures”.
Sandra belongs to the Mungulu destiny of painters which include “my mother Gudu and sisters Marjorie, Margaret, Mildred, Robyn and myself. My daughters Carmen and Deidre were painting too and my son used to work with pearl shells”.
Sandra likes working in acrylics and now she is painting in ochre “which is alright once you know how to mix the ochre with binder. When I started painting I used paper, canvas, then bark.”
The significance of the original representations in the cave paintings is reflected again and again in Sandra’s contemporary practice. She views it as “being the passing on of beliefs and messages from our ancestors. I believe the Wandjina was like God because our people didn’t know about god until they came to the caves. The Wandjina painting is like following the ten commandments and floods, like in the bible.”
Sandra was born at Derby Hospital and went to school in Derby where she completed three years in high school and then she completed her fourth year in Perth. She has four children, two girls and two boys. “Carmen is the oldest, Aaron then Deidre and Raymond, the youngest. I have nine grandchildren now. The girls used to paint and Aaron used to work on pearl shell”.
Group Exhibitions:
2009 Sharing Difference on Common Ground – Holmes a Court Gallery & touring nationally
2009 Mowanjum Festival – Mowanjum Art and Culture Centre, Derby
2009 Kimberley Art Prize – Derby Western Australia
2008 Shinju Matsuri Wandjina Budda Budding – Broome 6 Gallery
2008 Mowanjum Festival – Mowanjum Art and Culture Centre
2008 Kimberley Art Prize - Derby W.A
2008 Cultural Connections - Artitja Art Gallery Perth
2008 Spirit of the Wandjina - Shinju Matsuri Exhibition Broome 6 Gallery
2007 Mowanjum Festival - Mowanjum Art and Culture Centre, Derby
2007 Arralululai - Broome 6 Gallery
2007 Mowanjum Exhibition - Woodford Dreaming Festival, QLD
2006 Spirit of the Wandjina - Governor Stirling Tower, Perth
2006 Power of the Wandjina - Macquarie University Sydney
2005 Spirit of the Wandjina - Broome 6 Gallery
2005 Keeping the Wandjinas Fresh - Exhibition and book launch - Alexander Library Perth
2005 Mowanjum Festival
2005 Mowanjum Exhibition - Festival of the Dreaming Woodford, QLD
2004 Mowanjum Exhibition - Sydney Dreaming Festival
2004 Mowanjum Festival
2003 Mowanjum Festival
2003 Spirit of the Wandjina - Harvey Bay QLD
2002 Visions from the Cave - Sun Picture Theatre, Broome
2002 Mowanjum Festival
2001 Recent Works - Melbourne Spirit of the Wandjina Gallery
2001 Mowanjum Festival
2000 The Art of the Wandjina - Sydney Olympics Exhibition, NSW
2000 Spirit of the Wandjina - Compass Travel Postonja Slovenia
2000 Mowanjum Festival
2000 Spirit of the Wandjina Exhibition - Melbourne
1999 5th Telstra Art Award - Museum and Art Gallery of the NT- Darwin
1999 Power of the Wandjina - Telstra National Headquarters - Melbourne
1999 Recent Works - Spirit of the Wandjina Gallery, Melbourne
1999 Power of the Wandjina - Governor Stirling Tower, Perth
1999 Spirit of the Wandjina Exhibition - Governor Place, Sydney
1999 Mowanjum Festival
1998 Spirit of the Wandjina -Telstra National Headquarters, Melbourne
1998 Mowanjum Festival
1998 Mowanjum Wandjina Art – Matzo’s Broome
1998 Spirit of the Wandjina –Grosvenor Place, Sydney
1997 Mowanjum Festival
Collections
Numerous private collections
Wallungunder Lai Lai, sold for $21,000 to private collector in Los Angeles
Publications
Sotheby’s Catalogue November 2007, Collaborative work by Mowanjum Artists including Sandra Mungulu $35,000 sold to Los Angeles Museum
