Ngarra (me)
Barrata Marika, Yolngu / Australian, born 1987
Unidentified Yolngu maker
Yirrkala
Northeast Arnhem Land
Northern Territory
Australia
2010
Photographic linocut on Magnami Pescio
Overall: 8 1/4 × 11 13/16 in. (21 × 30 cm)
Frame: 15 3/4 × 23 1/8 in. (40 × 58.7 cm)
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Gift of Will Owen and Harvey Wagner
© Barrata Marika
2016.1.190
Geography
Place Made: Australia, Oceania
Period
21st century
Object Name
Photograph
Research Area
Photograph
On view
Label
The expressive greens, yellows, blues, and oranges emanating from the center of this self-portrait vibrantly capture the personality of the artist, shining out as though glowing themselves. The everyday and the imagined come together in the carefully hand-drawn additions of wings and a halo around the central figure; dressed in a contemporary collared shirt, she seems to exist as simultaneously ordinary and spiritually powerful. The full control the artist has over their own representation can be a powerful tool for self-expression and literal self-determination, especially for Indigenous artists.
From the 2024 exhibition A Space for Dialogue 121, Across Oceans: Indigenous Solidarity in the Pacific and Beyond, curated by Kaitlyn Anderson '24, Conroy Intern
Exhibition History
A Space for Dialogue 121, Across Oceans: Indigenous Solidarity Throughout Pasifika and Beyond, Kaitlyn Anderson '24, Conroy Intern, Alvin P. Gutman Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, November 2 – December 21, 2024.
Provenance
Buku Larrnggay Mulka, Yirrkala via Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, Australia; sold to Will Owen (1952-2015) and Harvey Wagner (1931-2017), Chapel Hill, North Carolina; given to present collection, 2016.
This record is part of an active database that includes information from historic documentation that may not have been recently reviewed. Information may be inaccurate or incomplete. We also acknowledge some language and imagery may be offensive, violent, or discriminatory. These records reflect the institution’s history or the views of artists or scholars, past and present. Our collections research is ongoing.
We welcome questions, feedback, and suggestions for improvement. Please contact us at: Hood.Collections@dartmouth.edu