Gaypalani Waṉambi wins National Art Award

An artist from Arnhem Land has won the $100,000 first prize at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards after creating a metal work from discarded road signs.

Yolŋu artist Gaypalani Waṉambi won the prestigious award for Indigenous artists with her work, a 3 metre by 3 metre work titled Burwu, blossom.

Ms Waṉambi began working with her father, the late Mr Wanabi, who the ward in 2010 and 2018.

She collected the signs in Eastern Arnhem Land, painted once die black and then drilled patents into them to represent bees, her totem and then etched stringboard flowers into the metal.

“If you go visit [my Country], you could see the stringybark tree’s blossoms, and maybe it’ll tell you that the honey is ready,” her Dhukumul told the ABC.

Ms Wababu plans to buy cars for her family with the prixemoney so they can travel more easily across country.