Donny Woolagoodja

Last updated

Donny Woolagoodja
Born1947
Died2022
Other namesYornadaiyn Woolagoodja
Awards Red Ochre Award

Yornadaiyn (Donny) Woolagoodja (1947-2022) was an Aboriginal Australian artist. He was a member of the Worrorra people of the Kimberley area of Western Australia. [1]

Contents

Career

Woolagoodja was the first chairman of the Mowanjum Artists Centre. [2] Woolagoodja's giant Wandjina artwork featured at the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. [2] Similar works were also featured at the 2016 Vivid Sydney festival's Lighting of the Sails celebration. [3]

Personal

Donny Woolagoodja was born in 1947 at the Kunmunya Mission on the Kimberley coast, the son of Sam Woolagoodja. [1] Woolagoodja died in 2022 aged 75. [4]

Honours and awards

Publications

Related Research Articles

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The Wandjina, also written Wanjina and Wondjina and also known as Gulingi, are cloud and rain spirits from the Wanjina Wunggurr cultural bloc of Aboriginal Australians, depicted prominently in rock art in northwestern Australia. Some of the artwork in the Kimberley region of Western Australia dates back to approximately 4,000 years ago. Another closely related spirit entity is the creator being Wunngurr, a being analogous to the Rainbow Serpent in other Aboriginal peoples' belief systems, but with a different interpretation.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Donny Woolagoodja". Revealed. Fremantle Arts Centre. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Donny Woolagoodja". Arts Law Centre of Australia. 18 April 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  3. "Lighting up the Opera House". Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  4. Zaunmayr, Tom (20 September 2022). "D Woolagoodja, whose giant wandjina graced the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony, dies aged 75". National Indigenous Times.
  5. Brewster, Will (28 May 2021). "The Australia Council announces recipients of 2021 First Nations Arts Awards". MusicDaily Newsletter. The Music Network. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  6. "2022 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.