Celestial Art
Tate Modern acquires celestial work by senior Yolŋu artist Naminapu Maymuru-White
Tate Modern, London, has acquired Milŋiyawuy, a series of meticulous black and white paintings on bark, by senior Yolŋu artist Naminapu Maymuru-White. Milŋiyawuy translates to ‘Milky Way’ in English, and the work is part of the River of Stars exhibition by independent curator Jenn Ellis for Breguet’s stand at Frieze London 2024.
Maymuru-White is a member of Maŋgalili clan of the Yirritja moiety and, at the age of 72, she is a force to be reckoned with. She began painting at the age of 12 and is one of the first Yolŋu women to be taught to paint miny’tji, a sacred design of her clan that encapsulates both the Milŋiyawuy River across Maŋgalili Country and the celestial Milky Way.
