George Milaypuma

Milingimbi Art And Culture

George Milaypuma was first inspired to share his culture through artwork by watching his father, Gupapuyŋu leader Tom Djawa. Djawa was at the forefront of the Milingimbi Community in the 1950s, including leading the highly respected and productive group of artists whose work was eagerly collected by national and international institutions and collectors. ‘It is important to follow my father’s footsteps… our culture has been here for a long time and we need it to keep going.’Djawa painted the complexities of Gupapuyŋu law and ceremony with ochre on eucalyptus bark, however it was his stories of Mokuy Murayana that captured Milaypuma’s imagination. Mokuy are ancestral beings that often feature in stories about the creation of country, Law and ceremony. Mokuy Murayana is a specific figure that is known for his lust for the most beautiful sounding yidaki (didgeridoo).

Milaypuma explains that he ‘went another way’ to his father, meaning that he does not paint on to bark but carves the Mokuy figures instead. These are made from cottonwood and painted with ochre, their chests decorated with Gupapuyngu clan designs. These are the same designs that Djawa painted onto the surface of bark and that all Gupapuyngu men, past and present, paint onto the chest of young boys during ceremony. These designs are inseparable from Gupapuyngu manikay (song) and bunggul (dance).

It is important to Milaypuma that his clan designs and Law continue to capture the imagination of children as they grow and become adults. Milaypuma makes his work at home but is excited that all the djamarrkuli (children) get to see his work and remember the story for Mokuy Murayana when they visit the art centre.

In addition to his responsibilities as an artist Milaypuma shares his knowledge via other roles. Milaypuma worked as a cultural adviser with the Crocodile Island Rangers from 2013 to 2018. He has also worked as a cultural consultant for many museums and galleries including Museums Victoria and the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney. In 2017 Milaypuma worked closely with the ARDS production team to produce a feature length film, ‘Wata Burrmalala – Cyclone Culture’. https://vimeo.com/237681773

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