| Date of birth : 1955 Language : Djinang Clan : Murrungun Social Affiliations : Dhuwa moiety, Wamut subsection | Billy Black was born in Darwin or Maningrida in about 1955, was the son of Yamila(F) and Banalinydju(M). He had three (3) older brothers who are both deceased and his sister is Ruby Galdjurrka' (Galtjurlga) who is married to Roy Yangaygay, a young brother Ian Yarrmakany and Billy also has another youngest brother; Anthony Djigadjiga whose father is Peter Minygululu. Peter married Billy’s mother after his natural father died.
Billy Black’s father died when he was three or four years old and his mother died few years later. Both of his parents died at Milingimbi. Brian Yambal’s grandmother took Billyboy [as he was called then] into her custody and looked after and grew him up along with Brian and always took Brian and Billy to school each morning; grandmother was a very strict old lady and wanted Billy and Brian not to miss the school.
Billy Black went back to Ngangalala to his families and he worked at the Murwangi cattlestation under Malcolm Armstrong.
When Ramingining was established in early 1970s and Billy Black came to live here with most of the people from Ngangalala and is settled down here. Billy Black is particularly known for his sculptures of forest mokuy, a devil like creature. In 1993 he received an Honourable Mention for his sculpture in the Australian Heritage Commission Art Award held at Old Parliament House in Canberra. He principally paints black headed python, long neck tortoise, butterflies and yams.
Select Group Exhibitions:
1988, Biennale of Sydney, Aboriginal Memorial, Pier One, Sydney
1993, Australian Heritage Commission Art Award Exhibition, Old Parliament House Canberra
1996, Islands: Contemporary Installations, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
1998, New World Art Gallery, Hattem, The Netherlands
1998. Dreamings, Vlaams-Europeesch Conferentiecentrum, Brussels, Belgium
1999, Ramingining Artists Show, High on Art, Melbourne
1999, Le Memorial un chef-d'oeuvre d'art aborigine, Olympic Museum, Lausanne, Switzerland; State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid
2000, Ramingining artists, Coo-ee Gallery, Sydney
2000, Aboriginal Art in Modern Worlds, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
2003, Out of the Dilly Bag, Bright!, St Kilda, Victoria
2003, Bula’bula Arts at the Virginia Fringe Film Festival, Virginia, USA
2004, The Affordable Art Fair, New York City, New York, USA
2004, Buyu: Weaving from Ramingining, Budds Beach Gallery, Surfers Paradise, Qld
2004, Artists from Ramingining, Framed Gallery, Darwin
2004, The World of Aboriginal Art and Tingatinga Paintings, The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu, Japan
2004, Dupun, Djalumbu, Badurru-Hollow Logs from Ramingining, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
2004, Ramingining Artists, Tandanya, National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide
2005, Emergence: Happening Artists from Ramingining, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne
2005, Pandanus to Paper, Northern Editions, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT
2006, Recently Ramingining, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney
2006, Out of the Dilly Bag and into the Canoe, Brightspace! St Kilda
2007, Bula'bula Arts: The Next Generation, Australia Dreaming Art, Melbourne
Collections:
Kluge-Ruhe Collection, University of Virginia, USA.
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.
The Hida Earth Wisdom Centre, Gifu, Japan
Publications:
Hutchings, Patrick, Billy Black, Australian Art Collector, Issue 33 July - September 2005, p. 117
Mundine, Djon, 2001, The Native Born: Objects and Representations from Ramingining, Arnhem Land, MCA & Bula’bula Arts
Commissions:
1989/90, John Kluge, Painting Their Land Commission, USA
1993, Honourable Mention for Ramingining Artists, Australian Heritage Commission Art Award Exhibition, Old Parliament House Canberra [artist not named individually]
Copyright Bula’bula Arts Aboriginal Corporation
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Bula’bula Arts Aboriginal Corporation
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