Durrmu Arts Aboriginal Corporation

DURRMU ARTS ABORIGINAL CORPORATION is renowned for its fine, contemporary art production, including acrylic painting and fibre work. Senior artist Regina Pilawuk Wilson (winner, General Painting, Telstra National Indigenous Art Award 2003) leads a team of talented emerging and established artists including Kathleen Korda, Margaret Kundu, Annunciata Dartinga, Grace Dodson, Annunciata Wilson, Anastasia Wilson, Anne-Carmel Wilson, Dakota Wilson, Carol Jimmy and Leon Pungily.

Durrmu Arts Aboriginal Corporation was registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres-Strait Islander) Act 2006, in 2011. Prior to that, was part of the Peppimenarti Association.

Durrmu Arts is a member of the Indigenous Art Code and  ANKAAA – the Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists.

The paintings of Peppimenarti are based upon traditional weaving and durrmu (dot body painting) designs. These are complemented by the women artists’ premium pandanus and sand-palm fibre weaving work. The women of Peppimenarti are traditionally weavers and have transposed their knowledge of fibre and textiles onto the canvas. The results are paintings of intricate, abstract mark-making; some clearly representing syaw (fishnet) and wupun (basket weaving) through their layered textures, whilst others resemble fine tapestries. The mens’ art lies in the production of body paint designs and cultural articles. Many of the male artists paint their inherited didgeridu designs.

In 2000 Regina Wilson and Theresa Lemon represented the Peppimenarti Community at the Contemporary Art Biennale staged as part of the Pacific Arts Festival in Noumea. And in 2003, Regina Wilson was named the winner of the General Painting category of the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres-Strait Islander Art Award, drawing further attention to the artistic output of this vibrant community. More recently, Regina was chosen as a finalist in the 2008 Wynne prize at the Art Gallery of NSW.

As Patrick Hutchings and Heng Wei stated in Australian Art Review, 2003, ‘Something new and important is happening at Peppimenarti. It’s something else – twice over. It’s not about narrative, but spear-dots and weaving; however it’s also about a beauty abstracted from handicraft. It no longer maps a songline, but sings a new song.’