Minbala Mami Kantri | Our Mother's Country

MINBALA MAMI KANTRI
OUR MOTHER’S
COUNTRY
B y A r t i s t s R h o n d a D u n c a n a n d M a r g a r e t D u n c a n
1 9 A p r i l 2 0 2 4 - 1 J u n e 2 0 2 4
2024 EXHIBITION CATALOGUE
Dive into the heart of Ngalakgan country through a vibrant depiction of
culture, country, and dreaming.
Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Centre

T h e A R T I S T S
A B O U T
M a r g a r e t D u n c a n
A B O U T
R h o n d a D u n c a n
Margaret Duncan is a skilled painter,
weaver and carver from Urapunga,
Northern Territory. Margaret’s art
celebrates her connection with Country,
culture, story and family. Margaret’s
Aboriginal name is Bongyii, her skin name
is Gamanyjan and her mother’s family is
Millwarparra (kangaroo people)
belonging to the Country around
Urapunga, Roper Bar and Ngukurr. Her
father is Ritharrŋu from north-east
Arnhem Land.
Rhonda Duncan is skilled painter, weaver,
and carver from Urapunga, Northern
Territory. Rhonda’s work celebrates the
colour and liveliness of Ngalakgan
Country through her vibrant depictions
of birds, waterholes, bushfoods and
seasons. Rhonda’s Aboriginal name is
Brukgin, her skin is Gamanyjan. Rhonda’s
mother is a Millwarparra woman
(kangaroo people) and her language is
Ngalakgan. Her father is Ritharrŋu from
north-east Arnhem Land.

Food Hunting
Rhonda Duncan
Buffalo Crossing
Margaret Duncan

About
Rhonda & Margaret
Duncan and Minbala
Mami Kantri.
Urapunga is a small Aboriginal
community nestled between the Roper
and Wilton Rivers, below the southern
border of Arnhem Land in the Northern
Territory.
They love to create pieces that
capture stories of Urapunga
Country, place and how people
live.
The Ngalakgan People have lived on and
cared for the area, including Urapunga,
since time immemorial. Their
custodianship is present in the landscape,
in the burial caves and rock art shelters,
the cultivated Country and living
descendants spread between Ngukurr,
Urapunga and beyond.
Artists Rhonda Duncan and Margaret
Duncan come from a long lineage of
artists and masters in traditional weaving,
painting, and carving.
They love to create pieces that capture
stories of Urapunga Country, places,
animals, culture, family and how people
live on Country.
This exhibition is supported by not-forprofit
organisation Circulanation in
partnership with the Urapunga Arts
Aboriginal Corporation. Together their
goal is to create a sustainable art and
cultural enterprise, to share and celebrate
culture, and to provide economic
prosperity for future generations.

AN INTIMATE LOOK
AT THE STORIES
WOVEN WITHIN
THESE PIECES.
An interview with artists
Rhonda Duncan & Margaret Duncan
Rhonda Duncan and Margaret Duncan
hail from a rich lineage of artists and
masters in traditional weaving, painting,
and carving. Their passion lies in crafting
artworks that encapsulate the essence of
Urapunga Country. ABC reporter James
Elton sat down with the artists at
Godinyamyin for a conversation about
their inspiration, method, and life.
Q: Can you tell me about when you
were growing up, what do you
remember about when you first learned
to paint?
Margaret: We didn't have any paint and
brush in those days, so our brush were
made from our hair and rocks. We went
down the river and collect all the different
kinds of colours, smash them up and
make it into a paste.
Rhonda: I used to get writing pad and
texta and I used to do drawing, I ended up
doing paintings as well, just learning it till I
get a hold of it. When you see a lot of
beautiful colour during the Dry Season
and Wet Season. That’s where the colour
comes from.
Q: Was telling stories, even from the
dreaming time important in your art?
Margaret: It's all about being out in the
bush. Because that's where in the 60s,
nearly all of the billabongs and waterhole
we used to go hunting with our parents,
were very, very rich and going back I
would like to see the same thing, but I
can't bring it back. We still catch a lot of
fish a lot of Lily roots. We used to walk
and camp in the bush but it's hard to go
out now because we been introduced to
motorcars.
Q: With the richness of the land now
degrading, its almost like your paintings,
are in some ways about grief or loss? .
Margaret: In our heart, how we used to
see it, it just fill our hearts and make you
feel really good inside, it takes away the,
the anger, the things that you stress
about in today's world. It’s like when we
go sitting down the river fishing, you just
sitting there on the sand, relaxing, looking
at the different birds in the waterway. It
makes you feel really good inside. That's
how I see my painting.

Rhonda: When I do my painting, my
painting is all about Mother Nature. Like
growing up through the Dry Season,
different colours changing and during the
Wet Season, the brightness of the plant,
the animals and the water. It makes me
feel relaxed, take out your stress.
Q: What do you think about each other's
art, about the similarities and
differences?
Margaret: Well, for me, we are from the
one mummy and daddy and great
grandmother and grandfather. We grew
up in the same way. We’ve been helping
each other for a long time.
Q: Tell us more about your Mami?
Margaret: All this painting that we've
done is about our mami country. And our
grandfather my mami’s father, and then
all of my uncles and all of my cousin. This
is where we live. Our mami’s country. The
land that hold us like this, we stay in this
one place.
Rhonda: Our painting are about mami.
Motherland and grandpa, that mami’s
uncle and mami’s father that we look
after the country for them.
Q: What would you say to somebody
else who wanted to be an artist and had
this gift to share?
Margaret: You just have to try and try!
When you do a painting and you make a
mistake, like a mistake in everything that
you do you got to keep going, you can't
just stop there. You just gotta focus on
one way and keep going. Don't stop.
Otherwise, you'll be going downhill you
know? We go downhill but we come up
again. It doesn't stop there.
Rhonda: That’s what I was doing, I end up
doing my own painting, and the basket
weaving. So I won my battle, I got the
hang of it now.
Above: Doreen Ponto (Mami)
Below: Long Billabong by Rhonda Duncan

G A L L E R Y P i e c e s A r t i s t s R h o n d a D u n c a n
a n d M a r g a r e t D u n c a n
Pieces by Rhonda Duncan:
Rain Falling 150cm x 116cm
The First Coming of the Wet Season 113cm x 232cm
Cherapin Season 114cm x 153cm
Grandparents Looking After Country at Roper Bar 134cm x 247cm
Long Billabong 153cm x 250cm
Food Hunting 89cm x 165cm
Vision of Dreams 137x236cm
Dry Season Birds 210x118cm
Bush Food 105x126cm
Lillie Pod, Plate
Bush Tucker, Plate
$3,330
$6,330
$4,170
NFS
$5,000
$3,000
$3,330
$3,330
$4,170
$800
$800
Pieces by Margaret Duncan:
Djawa Spring 104cm x 124cm
Las tu Olman en Olgaman 88cm x 109cm
Bulunbulun 100cm x 129cm
Spring Kantri 132cm x 112cm
Buffalo 100cm x 127cm
Warajara 87cm x 110cm
Buffalo Crossing 100cm x 120cm
Two Bala Crab, Plate
Two Bala Yam, Plate
NFS
$5,830
$4,170
$8,330
$5,830
$5,000
$5,830
$800
$800

Godinymayin Yijard Rivers
Arts and Culture Centre
gallery@gyracc.org.au
PO Box 613, Katherine, NT
0850
Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and
Culture Centre was established in 2012 as
the flagship cultural facility for the
Katherine Region, and recently marked
our 10th anniversary as the region’s
gathering place. Our founders were a
visionary group of local artists, elders, civic
leaders, business owners, pastoralists,
educators, and government partners who
wanted to make a special place for the
community. And they did.
Over the past decade, Godinymayin has
become a community hub that now
presents theatre, music, cabaret,
exhibitions, lectures, comedy, cinema, and
civic events—and is also home to
workshops, conferences, corporate
functions, and hired activities of every
kind.
Our facilities comprise a welcoming lobby,
the Lambert Gallery for visual arts
programming, the K Space Gallery, the
Laneway Gallery, a cafe and retail shop,
and a large multi-function performing arts
venue and meeting space.
This year an expanded Godinymayin will
begin to appear. Thanks to a Northern
Territory Government Arts Trail
investment, we are developing expanded
indoor cultural facilities and a brand new
outdoor amphitheatre and covered deck
cafe area for the region's residents and
visitors to enjoy.
Our non-profit organisation is governed
by a board of 12 community leaders—
including representatives from the
Jawoyn, Wardaman and Dagoman people.
We are managed throughout the year by
a small team of dedicated arts
professionals who are passionate about
the the community, cultural identity, and
creative opportunities and celebrations.
We work hard to perpetuate and grow our
founding vision, and ensuring a special
place in Katherine where creativity,
culture, and heritage will always come
together and thrive. We at Godinymayin
are also grateful for the ongoing
partnership and exchanges with the
region’s arts centres, and to our principal
partners the Northern Territory
Government and Katherine Town Council.
In everything, we do, our organisation
acknowledges the Traditional Owners of
the land and region we inhabit—the
Jawoyn, Wardaman and Dagoman people
—and their Elders past, present, and
emerging.
Special Thanks to Godinymayin team for
their dedication and hard work: Caitlin
Backhouse, Jessy Moss, Janet Schultz,
Roxy Collins, Talisha Ellis, Nathan Lennard,
Jules Renner and Brianna Lennard.
With your help and participation, our new
performance venue will bring great
cultural events and dry season
programming—and make a more dynamic
Katherine Region.
.