D’Lan Contemporary has announced ‘Yurlupirti – Forever Without End (eternal),’ a solo exhibition of Yulparitja / Mangala contemporary artist Daniel Walbidi, the inaugural exhibition at the Australian gallery’s new space at 25 East 73rd Street in New York.
‘Yurlupirti – Forever Without End (eternal)’ will feature 10 new paintings by Walbidi. The exhibition will be on view from April 26th to May 31st, 2024, with an artist talk and opening reception on April 25th, from 6 PM to 8 PM.
The Australian gallery’s opening of a second space in New York signals a new direction in programming strategy. This additional space will present curated exhibitions featuring living Australian First Nations artists, alongside a schedule of events and educational talk programming. The 81st Street location will remain open by appointment with a focus on exhibiting exceptional secondary market works of art for private sale.
This exhibition follows the successful launch of D’Lan Contemporary’s first New York space in May 2023, where the gallery hosted its first exhibition of Daniel Walbidi, marking Walbidi’s premiere in NYC. ‘Yurlupirti – Forever Without End (eternal)’ will present a new body of larger-scale works and delve deeper into Walbidi’s personal beliefs and cultural perspectives grounded in the land. This marks the D’Lan Contemporary’s second collaboration with Walbidi and the artist’s primary representative Emily
Rohr and Short St. Gallery (Broome, Western Australia), highlighting the significant demand and appreciation for Australian First Nations art in the global art market.
Daniel Walbidi creates art that acts as a bridge to the spiritual and ancient wisdom of the desert, deeply rooted in Australian First Nations’ perceptions of reality and the importance of land acknowledgment. Employing a vivid, layered abstract style, he explores profound questions about life through this new body of work. With water as a central theme, Daniel mirrors the fusion of coastal and desert environments through an intense color palette, offering a visual narrative that pays homage to his Yulparitja/Mangala heritage.
My ambition is not only to be a successful artist but also to be someone who is able to make our culture known and understood and to give a different perspective of what land is to Aboriginal people. The laws of the land extend to New York. There is a long tradition through the Native American community, which I often think about… The fundamental laws for existence are all written in the land. My aim is to share our perspective because it will shift the approach and understanding of Western people. If you are born in the land, you are of the land.
says Walbidi.
Daniel Walbidi is from Bidyadanga, a coastal community 250km south of Broome, Western Australia, home to the Karrajarri people. Originally the La Grange Mission, this remote area in Western Australia served as a settlement for Indigenous people migrating from the desert to assist in building cattle stations.
Daniel’s upbringing fostered a deep appreciation for his people’s traditions and cross-cultural connections. As we prepare to see Daniel’s paintings grace the walls of our new space in New York, his art and words offer a poignant reflection on the importance of preservation and the enduring resilience of Australian First Nations cultures
Lucy Foster, Gallery Manager of D’Lan Contemporary
D’Lan Contemporary was founded in 2016 by D’Lan Davidson, a leading international Australian First Nations art consultant, dealer, and gallerist. The gallery has since dedicated itself to showcasing exceptional works of art by leading and emerging Australian First Nations artists globally. Since first discovering Daniel’s work during his tenure at Sotheby’s Australia, D’Lan has been determined to collaborate with the artist and showcase his remarkable paintings to a broader audience.
The Australian gallery’s opening of a second space in New York signals a new direction in programming strategy. This additional space will present curated exhibitions featuring living Australian First Nations artists, alongside a schedule of events and educational talk programming. The 81st Street location will remain open by appointment with a focus on exhibiting exceptional secondary market works of art for private sale.
Yurlupirti – Forever Without End (eternal) April 25th – May 31st, 2024, D’Lan Contemporary, New York
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 25th, 6-8PM The artist will be present and participate in a conversation with his primary representative, Emily Rohr of Short St. Gallery, in a discussion hosted by D’Lan Davidson and New York Gallery Manager,
Lucy Foster.
About the artist
Daniel Walbidi (b. 1983) is from a small coastal community 250km south of Broome called Bidyadanga, the traditional homeland of the Karrajarri people. Formerly La Grange Mission, it is where people were brought into from the desert to help build the cattle stations there. This is how Daniel’s desert parents came to live at the coast. Bidyadanga has five tribes living within the community. Daniel says, “We all speak and understand each other’s languages and live together as one big family.”
At the age of 16, Daniel actively sought to exhibit his work. He was painting on wood boards, old doors, off cuts and anything he could find to express himself. He urged the elderly people in the community to start painting so that he could learn about his people’s history and cultural background. He has since become initiated and continues to paint and exhibit his work around Australia. Taking colors from nature—both from the desert and the ocean—Walbidi’s artistic practice has been deeply rooted in Australian First Nations perceptions of reality and the importance of land acknowledgement, as well as his people’s traditional teachings and experiences.
Walbidi won the painting prize at the National Indigenous Art Awards at the Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory in 2014. He was named among the Top 50 of Australia’s Most Collectable Artists by Australian Art Collector in 2011. His work has been collected by significant institutions and exhibited globally including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York). A documentary titled “Desert Heart,” showcasing his work and his people’s story, aired on ABC in March 2008. He continues to display a complex understanding of his traditional country in the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia.
