Ramingining is a small but vital aboriginal community, of largely Yolngu people, on the edge of the Arafura swamp in Central Arnhem Land, some 400 km east of Darwin.
The community has established a noted bark-painting and wood-carving tradition. It has also been the focus for a series of influential print-making workshops, from which much exciting work has come. An important collection of Ramingining art is held by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. Previously it had toured to museums in Germany, Spain, Brazil, USA and Taiwan.
The community has played a leading role in developing aboriginal political awareness through artistic and cultural expression. In 1987 artists from Ramingining created The Aboriginal Memorial, an installation of 200 painted hollow-log funeral poles, marking the Bicentenary of Australia, and the 200 years since European settlement. The installation is dedicated to the numerous Indigenous Australians killed by European settlers. The work was acquired by the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, where it is on permanent display.
