Prints

The printspace at Yirrkala has been producing quality works on paper for sixteen years. Started in 1996 this community enterprise run by the Yolngu people of Miwatj has developed a unique style while learning the intricacies of each new media - from japanese woodblocks to soft ground etching to linocuts to screen-prints.

Following the discipline of miny'tji (sacred design) the designs used in making these works on paper with 'foreign' media are decorative only and not permitted to extend into ceremonial patterns. This allows artists expressive freedom and the opportunity to use bright colours and 'play' with imagery without compromising their spiritual identity.

We are one of the top three print studios in the Northern Territory but the only one staffed by Indigenous printmakers. This means that we keep growing and sharing the skills in our own community. Yolngu artists of Miwatj can share their vision through works on paper made on their own press by their own family members