Dancing Mimis | KW-778

Life: c. 1947 – 2022

Birthplace: Dhuruputbi

Skin name: Yungamulwoi

Language: Balummumu/Djapu

Tribe: Munungurr

Community: Blue Mud Bay



Ken Wark was a talented artist and didgeridoo maker, born around 1947 near the mouth of the Roper River in East Arnhem Land, where the river meets the Gulf of Carpentaria. This area is known to the locals as Dhuruputbi, and the spoken language/dialect is Balummumu/Djapu. Ken belongs to the Munungurr tribe. Sadly, Ken passed away on 2 October of 2022.

Ken received no formal education and lived in isolation in this area all his young life until the family moved to the nearest major town of Katherine. This lack of contact with “modern civilization” in his formative years in seen throughout his paintings. In his artworks, Ken depicts subjects that are often associated with hunting and gathering activities such as bush foods, birds, animals and reptiles, an integral part of traditional indigenous life and survival. Ken paints in the so called “x-ray” style with fine cross hatching (rrark) associated with Arnhem Land Bark paintings.

Ken said that his father and grandfather (Doonji) had the biggest influence on his work. From a young age Ken watched these two people paint and learnt from them and the dreamtime tales that their paintings conveyed. In later years Ken was influenced in his work by David Blanasi and George Jungawanga (both now deceased).

During his life Ken also served for some years in the local Army Reserve.

In his later years Ken lived in the Katherine region and became a principal artist for Top Didj (formerly Katherine Art Gallery) where he often stayed as an artist in residence.

Ken’s work is sold in art galleries throughout the Territory. Through his art, Ken hoped to heighten the awareness of Aboriginal Art in the community at large. He also hoped his children would benefit from this awareness and it would influence them to emulate him.

Selected exhibitions: 1992 Emerald Hill Gallery, Melbourne.