Kuninjku artist, Belinda Kuriniya, was born in 1968 at Marrkolidjban, south-west of Manayingkarírra. She has worked with Bábbarra Designs as a printmaker since the mid 1990s and is known for her development of the tradition of the painted bark Mimih Spirit and Kun-madj (dilly bag).
In 2012, Belinda took part in the Community Fabric and Indigenous Industry Forum located in Gunbalanya, Arnhem Land. The forum, titled, Travelling with Yarns, saw designers and textile printers from Indigenous Art Centres in communities across the Northern Territory travel to share their stories and discuss common issues and directions for the industry. When describing her role at Bábbarra Women’s Centre she stated, “We make fabric at the Women’s Centre and other women make clothes out of our designs. I saw the ladies working here and I saw that I could do this work too. I could do it too and do it well and earn a living.
I started working with fabric in 1996, when I was a young woman, before I had children. I was already an artist, painting brolgas on bark and making baskets. I also make string. I am a good weaver and painter, which I do after work when I have the time. I learnt from my uncle and my mum as a child. Later I helped my husband. I use my mum’s and my uncle’s and my husband’s designs. I make the tiles and I print them. I like to use lots of colours in my designs. White is my favourite colour, then green, then yellow, light blue and black. I use lots of colours when I do flowers and mat designs. I like working by myself with my own designs and colours. I work by myself on my designs but with lots of other family and friends around, working hard. In the future I would like to keep working with fabrics and printing my new designs.”
Belinda’s textiles have been exhibited across Australia and internationally in China and Mexico and her textile designs are held in the Art Gallery of New South Wales collection. Belinda has also featured as one of the senior artists, mentoring the junior artists, in a group exhibition, Báb-barra: Women’s Printing Culture at The Cross Art Projects (2017) [http://www.crossart.com.au/current-show].
Reference List:
Bábbarra Women’s Centre. “Belinda Kuriniya.” Bábbarra Women’s Centre. Last modified 2017. https://babbarra.com/artist/belinda-kuriniya/.
Davidson, Christina. “Talking Up Textiles: Community Fabric and Indigenous Industry.” In Talking Up Textiles: Community Fabric and Indigenous Industry by Christina Davidson, 1-64. ANKAAA: Northern Territory, 2012.
Kuriniya, Belinda. “Artist Profile: Belinda Kariniya.” In Talking Up Textiles: Community Fabric and Indigenous Industry by Christina Davidson, 23. ANKAAA: Northern Territory, 2012.
Maningrida Arts and Culture. “Belinda Guriniya.” Maningrida Arts and Culture. Last modified 2017. https://maningrida.com/artist/belinda-gurriniya/.
