Malcolm Maloney Jagamarra

Malcolm Jagamarra was born in the Australian outback in 1955. He is the son of Minnie Napanangka (passed away) a Warlpiri woman, and Gerry Maloney an Irish bushman. As a child Malcolm lived the traditional way of life and travelled the land on walkabout with his mother and family.

At the time, as part of the ‘Aboriginal Assimilation Program’, all Aboriginal children were taken from their families and placed in white environments. Because of this, Malcolm’s mother would hide him whenever they visited a white homestead.

At the age of six, Malcolm was discovered by the authorities and taken to Adelaide where he spent the next eighteen years. He matriculated from Adelaide Boys High School in 1972 and stared in League Football for North Adelaide until 1975. In 1978 Malcolm returned to Alice Springs and was reunited with his family for the first time since 1960. In 1983 Malcolm underwent manhood initiation ceremonies he had missed as a boy. It was then that he learnt the secret songs and dances of his tribe, the Lander River Warlpiri.

Malcolm’s art evolved from his tribe’s ceremonies. Aboriginal paintings were originally daubed on the ground and on the bodies of the people and were therefore not preserved. Since 1971 they have been preserved in the form of acrylic paint on canvas.

"It has given everyone a chance to learn about Aboriginal Dreamings", says Jagamarra. "Our art reflects not just the land but its mythology, song and dance". The symbols are called "iconography" and are the oldest in the world.

Malcolm was the first Aboriginal artist to use oils on his paintings and he is the leader in his style. Malcolm is considered to be one of the most talented and dynamic Aboriginal artists working in Australia and has been instrumental in forging new directions for traditional arts.

In 1993 Malcolm was commissioned by Telecom Australia to create the paintings that appeared on a series of phone cards in celebration of the UN Year of the World’s Indigenous People.

In 2004 Malcolm was publicly recognised for the painting of a cello for the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.

Malcolm Jagamarra Maloney designed the highly recognisable logo for Central Art - Aboriginal Art Store. Sabine Haider from Central Art shares a very close relationship with Malcolm Jagamarra. During a six month period in 2008 both Sabine and Malcolm (and partner Narelle) collated a series of important audio interviews on his life and his art.

This artist biography and photograph is copyright protected. Please view our copyright policy if you would like to reproduce this material.

Bibliography:

1988 - Unsung Heroes and Heroines of Australia, Baldwin,S (ed), Greenhouse Publications, Elwood, Victoria
A myriad of Dreaming
1994 - Dictionary of Western Desert Artists, Vivian Johnson,Craftsman House, Roseville, NSW
Desert Dreamings, Ancient Icons
Nangara, The Australian Aboriginal Art Exhibition

Collections:

Aboriginal Galleries of Australia
Charles Sturt University, Australia
Macquarie University, Australia,
Australian Embassy, New York, USA
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
Berkeley Editions, Australia
Professor Fishe Collection, Germany
The Kelton Collection, Santa Monica, USA

Exhibitions:

1988 Aboriginal "Dot" Painting, Melbourne
1990 Reichs Museum, The Netherlands
1991 Tribal Art Gallery, Melbourne
1991 Rosequist Gallery, Tucson, Arizona, USA
1991 Throckmorton Gallery, Tucson, Arizona, USA
1991 Bahti Indian Art Gallery, Tuscon Arizona, USA
1991 Stuttgart Gallery, Stuttgart, Germany
1991 Rebecca Hosack Gallery, London
1991 Australian Aboriginal Art Gallery Vineyard, Germany
1991 Barbara Gilman Miami, Florida, USA
1991 Malagra's Gallery San Antonio, Texas, USA
1992 Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
1993 Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
1993 Mendelson Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
1994 Wagner Art Gallery, Hong Kong
1995 Malcolm Jagamarra, Brisbane
1996 Nangara Exhibition Belgium
1996 Gauguin Gallery, Singapore
1998 "Sztuka Aborygenow - Art of the Aborigines", Warsaw, Poland
1999 "Tjinytjilpa" Embassy of Australia, Washington, USA
1999 Aboriginal Art Galleries of Australia, Melbourne
2001 Icons of Australian Aboriginal Art, Singapore

Awards:

2001 finalist in 18th Telstra NATSIAA

Art Residences:

1992 - Art Gallery of NSW;
Crystal Fahren Hoest Gallery, Hamelen, Germany
1993 (October) - Mendelson Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA, USA;
Club Med, Queensland, Australia
1993 - Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, UK
1994 (January) - Global Colours, Sydney, Australia
1995 (April) - Youth Theatre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Media Coverage:

SBS Television, Australia
Channel 9, Wonder World, Australia
ABC 7:30 Report, Australia
Qantas In-flight Television, USA
Cable Network Television, USA

NTD8 Television, NT, Australia
The Bulletin (Newsweek), Australia
Telegraph Mirror, Melbourne, Australia
Antiques and Art Magazine, Australia
The Age Newspaper, Melbourne, Australia
Inside Melbourne, Sydney, Australia
2SER FM Sydney, Australia
The Australian Newspaper
Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, Australia
Australian Koori Mail, Sydney, Australia
Australian Way, Qantas In-flight Magazine
The Age Newspaper, Special Edition, Melbourne, Australia

Corporate Designs:

Kellogs Australia
Hardy’s Wines, Australia
Duty Free Shoppers, Sydney, Australia
Telecom, Australia
Responsible Drinking Campaign, Northern Territory Government, Australia
Sand-scapes, USA

Central Art Exhibitions:

Source: © Artist image courtesy by Malcolm Maloney Jagamarra

Video & Audio Features:

Artist: Malcolm Maloney Jagamarra

Skin Name: Jagamarra

Language: Warlpiri

Region: Willowra

Vendor: Central Art

Dreaming: Jardiwanpa (fire), Ngapa (water), Wardapi (Goanna), Warna ( snake), Wulyparrari (Milky Way), Yarriprir (Green Snake), Ngatijirri (Budgerigar), Napaltjarri-Warna (Seven Sisters), Marlu (Rock Kangaroo), Purruparnta (Frog), Ngarlkirdi (Tree Witchety Grub), Wanakiji and Yakajirri (Bush Tomato), Yarla (Bush Potato), Marnakiji (Bush Lantana), Marlpa (Bush Beans), Pirli- Ngawurrpa (Rock Wallaby)

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