Deborah Wurrkidj was born in 1971 at Maningrida in north-central Arnhem Land. Her language is Kuninjku and her moiety is Duwa. Deborah is well known for her fibre weaving, bark painting, woodcarving and printmaking.
Deborah is a versatile artist who has readily adapted to new art forms while retaining strong clan traditions. Her work is tactile and intricate and illustrates the artistic innovation that has occurred in Maningrida over the last 30 years.
Alongside her highly regarded fine art practice, Deborah, with her mother Helen Lanyinwanga and sister Jennifer Wurrkidj, has been working at Bábbarra Designs since 1991. She is a leading textile artist and an integral member of Bábbarra Women’s Centre. Deborah is also part of the art centre Maningrida Arts & Culture.
Deborah has exhibited widely since 2001, throughout Australia as well as in Europe and the United States. She is represented in most of Australia’s state gallery collections.
Collections
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, SA
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
Selected Group Exhibitions
2021 Painting Now – Peindre aujourd’hui en terres aborigènes, Le Havre, France
2019 IDAIA x Babbarra Women’s Centre, Paris, France
2019 Jarracharra: Dry season wind / Les vents de la saison sèche, Australian Embassy, Paris, France
2018 Ngaldjorlhbo | Mother of Everything | Mère de Toute Création – IDAIA, Paris, France
2018 Karrang Kunred: Motherland – Cross Art Projects, Sydney, NSW
2017 Karridjowkke Kunronj (Crossing Streams) – Nomad Art, Darwin, NT
2014 Barks, Spirit Figures, Lorrkon and Ceremonial Poles – Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
2010 Replant: a new generation of botanical art – National touring exhibition, curated by Nomad Arts, Darwin, NT
2009 Works in Season: Bark Paintings, Carvings & Weavings – Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW 2009 Survey from Maningrida Arts & Culture – The Mossenson Gallery, Perth, WA
2009 Ancestral Spirit Beings and Ceremonial Lorrkon – Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC 2009 During the Wet – Hemphill Fine Arts, Washington, USA
2009 Sculpture Show – Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
2009 Fibre & Rarrk – Marina Murdilnga & Debra Wurrkidj – Vivian Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2009 26th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards Exhibition – Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
2009 Orche – A Study in Materiality – Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
2008 Maningrida Art – Chapman Gallery, Canberra
25th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards Exhibition – Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
2008 Maningrida Arising – Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
2008 Weaving around the Traps – Chapman & Bailey, Melbourne, VIC
2008 Womens show – Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2008 Recent works from Maningrida – Chapman Gallery, Canberra, ACT
2008 African Muse – Ecorces recentes de Maningrida, Galerie Luc Bertier, Paris, France
2007 Bark Paintings from Maningrida – Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
2007 Spirit in Variation Part II – Annandale Galleries, Sydney, NSW
2006 Cross-section – a collection of prints from NTU stockroom – NTU, Darwin, NT
2005 Paris-Djinkarr-Milmilngkan – Maningrida Arts & Culture, Darwin, NT
2004 Crossing Country – The alchemy of Western Arnhem Land art – AGNSW, Sydney, NSW
2003 Weave – NTU Gallery, Darwin, NT
2003 Weave – Federation Centre for the Arts, Bundoora Homestead, VIC
2002 Maningrida Fibre – Redback Art Gallery, QLD
2002 19th Telstra National & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition – Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
2001 Good Colour : prints from Maningrida Womens Centre – Raft Artspace, Darwin