Born:
c. 1926
Deceased:
2009
Language Group:
Kunwinjku
Country:
Gunbalanya (Oenpelli), West Arnhem Land, Northern Territory
Medium:
Ochre on Bark, Ochres on Arches Paper, Etchings on Paper, Print Media, Rock Art
Subjects:
Mimi Spirit, Kedjebe (File Snakes), Kunj (Kangaroo), Ngarrbek (Echidna), Turtle, Untitled
Lofty Bardayal Nadjamerrek, also known as Bardayal Lofty, was an Aboriginal artist from Arnhem Land of the Mok clan. He began by painting on rocks before moving on to painting on barks and then paper over a period of at least 30 years. He was an exceptional artist and a leader in the style known as x-ray. Although many Arnhem Land artists moved into multi coloured cross-hatching Lofty continued to feature his cross-hatching in red, a nod to his rock painting heritage.
Artbank, Sydney, NSW
Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW
Aboriginal Arts Board of the Australia Council, held by the National Museum of Canberra, ACT
Berndt Museum of Anthropology, University of Western Australia, WA
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
Museum of Contemporary Art, Arnotts Collection, Sydney, NSW
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
National Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, SA
The Holmes à Court Collection, Perth, WA
1986
Australian Bark Painting, from the collection of Dr. Edward L. Ruhe, Meadow Brook Art Gallery, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA
1993
10th National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
1994
Power of the Land - Masterpieces of Aboriginal Art, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
1995
Moon, Rainbow and Sugarbag - The art of Mick Kubarkku and Bardayal Nadjamerrek, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT and touring
2003
20th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
2003
Kabulwarnamyo Kunred Ngarduk - My Country Kabulwarnamyo, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
2004
21st Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
2004
Crossing Country - the Alchemy of Western Arnhem Land Art, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
2004
Lofty Bardayal Nadjamerrek, New Work on Bark, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
2005
22nd Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
2005
Bardayal Lofty Nadjamerrek AO, Dianne Mossenson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2006
Bim Yolyolmi: Picture Told Story, Moseenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
2006
Spirit Country, Galerie lARTicle, Paris, France
2007
24th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
2007
National Indigenous Art Triennial 07, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT
Ruhe, E.
(1975) Australian bark painting, from the collection of Dr. Edward L. Ruhe, exhib. cat. Meadow Brook Art Gallery, Michigan, USA
West, M.
(1995) Rainbow Sugarbag and Moon, Two Artists of the Stone Country: Bardayal Nadjamerrek and Mick Kubarkku, exhib. cat., Museum and Art Gallery of the NT
Altman, J. & Cook, P.
(1982) Aboriginal Art at the Top, exhib. cat., Maningrida Literature Production Centre, Maningrida, NT
Brody, A.
(1984) Kunwinjku Bim: Western Arnhem Land Paintings from the Collection of the Aboriginal Arts Board, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC ©
