Nadurna Art: A Modern Perspective on Authentic Aboriginal Heritage

We all come to a stage in our lives when we want to make a drastic change in our home. And while this is usually related to entire home renovation, quite often, the change of a few details in your home can make quite a difference. A great example of adding a new unique and brighter detail in your living room, bedroom, dining room or hallway is by adding some Aboriginal art.

What Is the Meaning of Aboriginal Art?

Aboriginal art allows people to take a look and understand more about the culture and values of Aboriginal people. Australian Aboriginal art is regional in style and it gets its content from the local Aboriginal culture which is different in different areas. This unique art is based on knowledge and stories that have been passed down through generations, and people try to show the world everything they know through art. A great example of a brand that creates art with unique Aboriginal elements is Nardurna.

Nardurna art is a brand founded by Ryhia Dank, a Gudanji/Wakaja woman from the Barkly Tableland who grew up in a remote community in the Northern Territory. She’s a contemporary Aboriginal woman who has English/Irish and Spanish/Austrian heritage and who learned a lot about the authenticity of her identity through the stories she heard from her family. She moved away from her home to Melbourne where she worked and finished a design school, and it was during the pandemic time when she found herself back in the Northern Territory where she started painting.

During such a short period, the vivid and authentic Nardurna art has become one of the most favoured among people who appreciate different and unique things. The author herself uses colours from a range of palettes that reflect who she is.

The name of the brand means woman in Ryhia’s language, and one of the biggest Gudanji stories is about three women who came from the ocean near Ngukurr in the Gulf of Carpentaria. After a long way of travelling, these three women have created Ryhia’s place, its hills and fresh water Country. In honour of them, Ryhia’s brand has three lines that acknowledge those three women.

Some of Her Popular Art Pieces 

Bachelor Buttons I

The story of this art print is about memory. According to the artist, this artwork is a type of flower known as Bachelor Buttons. The flowers in this artwork were very much loved and adored by herself, her mothers and sisters, so the art itself has the job to evoke good memories, memories related to country and family. This art piece comes with an explanation of the used symbols and the story behind everything. It’s available in different sizes, frame types and colours to meet different customers’ needs.

Bachelor Buttons II

This art piece is quite similar to the aforementioned type, made with the same motives. The main difference is in the type of flowers, the design and colour. While the Bachelor Button I contains more shades of purple and pink colour, the Bachelor Button II contains lots of red shades which make it unique.

One of Many

This art piece is about fishing and all the places we plan to go to. Whether this would be after the rain has stopped and all the creeks, rivers and waterholes are flowing, or when going on the other side of the hills to fish for Barramundi and stay away from the huge saltwater crocodiles. This painting is also about those times when going to the other side of the hills to swim in the crystal clear water and fish Black Bream. The colour range in this art piece is impressive and the paint itself is just stunning. You can order it in the size you want, coming in the frame you want with a certificate of authenticity.

Burn Off I

The story of this print is about her country during the burning off when the land is dry and embers are coming through lighting small fires. It’s quite unique and breathtaking, different yet similar to the aforementioned art pieces thanks to the colour palette.

Swimming Hole

This print is a bit different from the previous ones because it’s more personal. It contains images that were taken on Ryhia’s way back to her country. Each of them is one of the stops along the way and they hold memories of knowledge, feeling and family. The print comes with shatter-proof and lightweight acrylic ‘Art Glass’ that filters 70% of the UV rays while eliminating reflections. The Swimming Hole Art Print comes in four different colours (like filters) and different frames to meet the print’s effect.  

The choice of this artist’s art pieces is huge, so these are just a small part of the wide range you can choose from. Each piece is unique and authentic, so adorning your home with them will help to highlight your taste for good things even more.