Fresh mural draws community interest

Abel Naborlhborlh, Alfie Naborlhborlh, Andrew Bourke, Winston Naborlhborlh and David Cameron begin painting the mural at the Jabiru Community Hall on Tuesday 29 March.

WORK is underway on a fresh mural on the Jabiru Community Hall, with Bininj and Balanda artists coming together to create a large-scale rendition of the burarr, or Merten’s Water Goanna.

The piece is already drawing a lot of interest, with tourists and residents alike stopping by the town plaza to watch the painters in action combining traditional motifs with contemporary aerosol art.

Members of the Children’s Ground Creative Arts team are collaborating with  Melbourne-based artist Andrew Bourke to create the mural as part of West Arnhem Regional Council’s refurbishment of the hall.

Andrew, who has spent almost two decades in the street art and mural business, has a back catalogue that includes both national and international exhibitions.

He told The Wire it would be “a big week” to get the artwork finished before flying home to Melbourne on Saturday.

“An important part of the project was getting the sign-off from the traditional owners, who chose the water monitor as the feature animal for the mural,” Andrew said.

Andrew Bourke with a crocodile mural be painted recently at the Walkabout Lodge in Nhulunbuy.

He said the project, which features local wildlife species, was being done in close consultation with the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation and Mirarr traditional owners to create an appropriate design.

As Andrew uses his high-tech spray cans to create the airbrush-effect burarr, senior Bininj artists are employing more traditional methods around the Balanda (non-Indigenous) artwork, populating the wall with local species including a rock python and dragonflies.

WARC and Children’s Ground are together covering costs and providing in-kind support for the mural.

Children's Ground are providing travel, accommodation, living expenses and materials for the visiting artist and wages for the Bininj artists, and WARC are coming to the party with the visiting artist's fee, paint for the undercoat, and a final coat of anti-graffiti varnish.

Children’s Ground Creative Arts Coordinator Damien Kamholtz said the week-long project would culminate with a free community barbecue outside the hall on Friday.

"Local outfit Black Rock Band will be staging their first performance, and everyone is welcome to come along to celebrate the completion of the mural," Damien said.

On Thursday 14 April, NT Government ministers and mayors from across the Territory will come together at the newly refurbished hall for a Local Government Association of the Northern Territory conference.

WARC thanks the NT Government for its $100,000 contribution to the refurbishment of the hall through its Community Benefit Fund.

The Jabiru Community Hall will have its official re-opening at the end of Kakadu’s Discovery Month on Saturday 30 April.

BEFORE: Damien Kamholtz, Kamahl Djandjomerr, Abel Naborlhborlh, Darius Cameron (on the ladder), Peter Djandjomerr and Ritchie Guymala on Wednesday 23 March, prepping the wall for the undercoat.

Romeo Redford finishes up the undercoat on Thursday 24 March, ready for the mural.