Tate Modern, London, has acquired Milŋiyawuy, a series of meticulous black and white paintings on bark, by senior Yolŋu artist Naminapu Maymuru-White. Milŋiyawuy translates to ‘Milky Way’ in English, and the work is part of the River of Stars exhibition by independent curator Jenn Ellis for Breguet’s stand at Frieze London 2024.
Ellis described Maymuru-White’s pieces as “a spiritual tale about connection and collective humanity”. She said, “I am particularly excited about showing Naminapu Maymuru-White, a leading First Nations artist, because of her emphasis on storytelling and ancestry. Her bark paintings tell the tale of her ancestors, how they travel in a river leading up to the skies and are seen in the stars, the Milky Way, looking over us.”
