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Alan Griffiths / Bali Bali Balga (10A)
SKU: 16199
100cm x 100cm Ochre on Canvas
View more from artist$5,200.00
100cm x 100cm Ochre on Canvas
(Sold)
How Artworks Are Sent
Ochre / Kimberley artworks are shipped on canvas or linen, already stretched, ready to hang unless stated otherwise.
Acrylic artworks are shipped on canvas or linen un-stretched, rolled up in a cardboard tube unless stated otherwise.
These artworks will need to be stretched on a stretcher board before hanging.
This can be done by nearly any picture framer (highly recommended) or you can DIY if you’re confident in your handiwork.
There are numerous "how to" videos on YouTube showing you how to achieve this.
Artist Profile
Alan was born at Victoria River Downs Station, NT in 1933 and worked as a stockman on many stations in the region including Newry, Ivanhoe, The “Elsey”, Maninbelli, Elizabeth Downs, Delamere, Willaroo and as head stockman on Beswick. When the town of Kununurra emerged, in 1965 Alan became a machine operator for the Government. His language is Ngarinyman / Ngaliwurru and he is one of the leading Elders in the East Kimberley.
Alan and his wife Peggy are both acclaimed senior artists. Alan has been painting since the early 1980’s and his talent is recognised Australia-wide and Internationally.
Alan has been fortunate in that he is one of a few selected artists whose attributes were outstanding enough to gain recognition early in the Aboriginal Art movement – along with his wife Peggy he exhibited with and participated in printmaking programmes alongside some of the most successful ochre artists in the East Kimberley region – Jack Britten, Queenie McKenzie, Rover Thomas (all deceased). His fastidious approach to his work has gained him an enviable reputation, commanding high prices for his paintings.
Alan’s limited edition prints of his own corroboree “Bali Bali Balga Joonba” were instantly successful, being collected by Parliament House. He and Peggy were invited to present this corroboree at the ATSIC Art Awards Perth, with dancing headboards woven by Peggy. This now famous corroboree is danced in Kununurra annually and Alan and Peggy still travel for cultural events, including ceremony and law for the youngsters.
His style is distinctive, elegant and precise and with every painting he shares the story depicting his culture, his knowledge of the country and his diverse experience of life.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2014
• “Alan Griffiths”, CDU Gallery, Charles Darwin University, Darwin
2012
• “Traditional Stories”, Span Galleries, Melbourne
2013
• “Camel Trek Country”,Span Galleries, Melbourne
Selected Group Exhibitions
2013
• “Our Living Land”, An Exhibition of Leading Artists from the East Kimberley, Salvo Hotel, Shanghai, China
• “Ceremony”, Hurstville Museum & Gallery, Hurstville NSW
• “Raison d’être”, Galerie Karin Carton, Versailles, France
• Waltzing Matilda Outback Art Show, Outback Regional Gallery, Winton, Queensland
• Muswellbrook Art Prize, Muswellbrook Regional Art Centre
2012
• “Sharing Difference on Common Ground”, The Cannery Arts Centre, Esperance
2008
• Kimberley Ink and Ochre, Wollongong University
2006
• Collectors Editions: Iconic Prints from the Kimberley, Northern Editions, Darwin
2005
• Celebrate, Seva Frangos Art, Perth, WA
• Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Brisbane
• Indigenous Art, Australian Embassy, Paris, France
2004
• Kimberley Focus, Concert Hall PIAF, Perth
• Newcastle Regional Gallery, Newcastle
• Waringarri Song and Dance Cycle, UWA, Perth
2003
• Kimberley Art, Short Street Gallery, Broome
• Moon Show, Arthouse Gallery, Sydney
2002
• Warrgebarenkoo, Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth
• Heyson Prize, Adelaide
2001
• Groundwork, Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth
• All About Art, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
• New Wave Kimberley Art, Corowa House, Margaret River
1999
• Kimberley Art Award, Kununurra
1995
• Fremantle Print Award, Perth
Selected Collections
• Art Equity Collection
• Art Gallery of Queensland
• Artbank Australia, Sydney
• Bachelor Institute of Advanced Education, Darwin
• Broadmeadows Health Service Collection, Melbourne
• Cable Beach Resort, Broome
• City of Perth Collection
• Edith Cowan University Collection, Perth
• Kluge Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection Virginia, USA
• Musee De Confluence, Lyons, France
• National Gallery of Australia Collection
• Parliament House Collection, Canberra
Story of the Artwork
This Bali Bali Balga/Joonba (corroboree) has been passed down and is currently owned by Alan, a renowned International Artist. It is a great honour to be the custodian of a corroboree. The Bali Bali Balga/ Joonba has been performed many times under the direction of Alan and his wife Peggy – including the 1997 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award Competition, and Alan has depicted the ceremony many times in his painting career, with varied themes.
Visitors to Kununurra have been entertained annually with a rendition of the Joonba/Bali Bali Balga in conjunction with festivities in the region in the dry time.
Here Alan describes his painting.
I have painted the Bali Bali Balga Joonba (coroborree) as we used to dance it in our country, Newry Station just over the Northern Territory Border. Every Christmas time, sitdown time for the station people, the mob from Kununurra way would come to Newry and next year we would go to their country. This is a happy time to catch up with old friends and dance this happy family Joonba.
An artwork of this theme was featured in 2007 at the prestigious Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection at the University of Virginia.
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