Name: Raylene Ngalamyorrk Bonson
Language: Ndjébbana, Kuninjku
Community: Maningrida
Biography:
Raylene (Rayleen) Bonson is a skilled textile artist known for her intricate lino carvings, which she prints onto a variety of fabric surfaces. Her work is celebrated for its detailed depictions of ancestral stories and ceremonial objects, particularly the lorrkkon (hollow log used in burial ceremonies), kunmadj (dillybag), and mandjabu (conical fishtrap).
In 2019, Raylene's screen print design Wubbunj (Paperbark Canoe) was licensed by Kip & Co, featured in a successful and sold-out homewares collection. In 2021, the same design was used in a collaboration with Jam Factory to create the contemporary furniture piece Love Bench With Back, which was part of the touring exhibition New Exuberance in 2022.
Raylene has been a key artist at Bábbarra Designs since 2012, where she now holds a permanent position as an arts worker. She was mentored by her late mother, Nancy Gununwanga, a founding member of Bábbarra Women’s Centre and a fellow textile artist. Today, Raylene continues the legacy by mentoring and supporting her daughter, Rosanna Bonson, in their shared artistic journey.
Eiffel tower and the Maladj spirit “I want to tell you about my design, that Eiffel tower one. This year it was my first time going to Paris. I didn’t know that place, nothing. We Read more…
Ngalyod and Bush Flower (collaborative work) This fabric was created using the linocut fabric printing technique, which has been refined at Bábbarra Women’s Centre since it was introduced in the mid-1990s. Printed by hand by Read more…
Ngalyod & Bush Flower (collaborative artwork) This fabric was created using the linocut fabric printing technique, which has been refined at Bábbarra Women’s Centre since it was introduced in the mid-1990s. Printed by hand by Read more…