Bonhula Yunupingu is a member of the Gumatj clan of North East Arnhem Land and was involved in the establishment of a furniture studio in his homeland community of Gunyangara, on the invitation of Yolngu elder Mr G Yunupingu, situated near the mining town of Nhulunbuy, East Arnhem Land, NT. The workshop uses Gadayka (Stringy Bark) that was being felled and discarded by the local bauxite mining company, these timbers are now being recovered and used by the Gumatj people. When creating objects, Yunupingu considers the material’s memory, tracing how it came into his hands and what it will become.

Bonhula often collaborates with his mentor, Damien Wright, where their partnering creates a dialogue that embodies Bonhula’s methodology as a Yolŋu custodian and Damien’s expertise as a craftsman, the intent of which is to respect the materials and to have a two-way learning exchange between the individuals that models conscious circular ways of living.

Bonhula and Damien’s collaborative work, Bala ga Lili 1' (Two Ways Learning), was exhibited at the Powerhouse Museum as part of the Eucalyptusdom Exhibition, 2022. The work was subsequently acquired by the museum.

Pete McCurley is a Ngarabul-Gumbaynggirr, Gaelic artisan and woodworker who manages and operates a custom timber mill on Dja Dja Wurrung country, (Daylesford), Victoria. He provides high quality Australian timbers to the woodwork market, particularly for use in instrument making and other forms of woodwork from carvers and turners to furniture makers. Pete sources ethical timbers, with the majority of his supply coming from salvage operations such as storm felled trees, farm burn piles, council removals etc. Being a small custom mill, he is able to process very select individual trees and maximise their recovery and use.​

Pete is a 2024 Dahl Fellowship recipient. His study, “Retrieving knowledge forward: Fire, forests and human custodial responsibility” aims to understand the changes to South Eastern eucalypt forests across deep time, with an eye raised to the future. By researching traditional cultural uses, cultural fire and pre-colonial forest structure along with modern scientific fire ecology, ecosystem function, and the current forest structure, his study will inform better management of eucalypt forests in a changing climate and time. The specific aim is to bring Indigenous knowledge practices to bear in contemporary forest management​.

Gerard Black is a proud Worimi man who grew up in Torquay and has a deep connection to Wadawurrung Country, where he has been nurtured and grown.

Gerard’s interest in art started at school, but he spent time as a builder and only later returned to his art roots, becoming an internationally recognised tattoo artist and, more recently, a fine artist. Gerard’s art features intricate, geometric dotwork inspired by his connection to the land and ocean of the Wadawurrung, ancient art techniques and his birthing country of Worimi.

Gerard's work is often inspired by growing up on Wadawurrung Country and his experiences exploring Spring Creek. The patterns used in his work often represent water and movement and indigenous flora and fauna of his Country.

Simon Briggs is a Yorta Yorta, Gunditjmara and Wurundjeri man born in Bendigo on Dja Dja Wurrung Country.

As a boy Simon would ask the Aunts and Uncles about his culture, how to make objects used by his ancestors. In his early adult life he started wood carving and stone tool making, learning the processes to make the tools and weapons of his people.

Simon's ambitions are to explore the processes that his ancestors followed; what wood was specifically used; how to remove the moisture from the wood and what implements were used to carve.

Sharing and learning from community to understand cultural practices is an important aspect of Simon's craft and he enjoys teaching and sharing knowledge with younger generations. ​

Simon is an extremely proud father of 5 and a foster carer for Aboriginal children and shares what he knows to help enrich our children's lives, keeping them culturally strong. Simon is a past winner for best works on paper and the people's choice awards for the Victorian Indigenous Art Awards 2012 and his work is held in collections at the Melbourne Museum and Koorie Heritage Trust.

Alvin Briggs is a Yorta Yorta, Taungurung man through his father and a Ngarigo, Walbunja man through his mother. He lives and works in Dja Dja Wurrung Country in Castlemaine, central Victoria. He learnt many different crafts through his family and Elders and has a long practice in drawing having always been encouraged to draw.

His father was a knowledge holder in the making of artefacts and design to express and share understandings of culture.His father made cultural objects,, design and poker work and Alvin took up this practice,. Alvin’s father introduced him to a machine that uses a heated wire to make free marks. The technique is called pyrography which means ‘writing with fire’.​

In 2019 Alvin was awarded People’s Choice Award in the Koorie Heritage Trust Art Prize and his works are held in public galleries and private collections in Victoria and South Australia. Alvin’s most recent works celebrate rare native animals and birds of Djaara Country. In collaboration with an agricultural scientist, he is currently illustrator and advisor on cultural practices for a forthcoming publication.

Jeremiah Bonson is a Djinaŋ/Marung artist. He was born in Darwin but raised at the outstation Gamurra-Gu-yurra, his mother Matilda country. Jeremiah and his wife lived in Galiwinku but now moved to Maningrida with his family. Jeremiah is a dancer, musician (he plays the yidaki or didgeridoo), painter and sculptor. Although an emerging artist, he was taught his traditional culture and traditional song line (bourgur) by his adoptive father Jimmy. His practice is informed by a culture thousands of years old. Bonson’s work Warrah Bun Bun is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia.

Jacquline Rrondhu was born a raised at Galiwinku, Elcho island and has lived there with husband and artist Jeremiah Bonson raising their small family. In early 2020 the family moved to Maningrida to be closer with Jeremiah’s side of the family. She has begun, under his tutelage, learning how to sculpt and paint after assisting him in his practice for many years.

Waringarri Aboriginal Arts is a living, growing art centre celebrating the uniqueness of Miriwoong cultural identity. Established in the 1980s, Waringarri is the first wholly indigenous owned art centre established in Western Australia and one of the oldest continuously operating art centres in Australia supporting economic independence for artists and their community.

The centre operates artists’ studios and galleries and supports more than 100 artists as painters, printmakers, wood carvers, boab engravers, sculptors and textile artists. All proceeds from art sales, art commissions is returned to the community to support the ongoing program of arts and cultural projects.

Richard Bloomer was born in Darwin and lives in Kununurra. He began working at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts as a studio support worker in 2011. Since then he has increased his responsibilities to become the freight and work studio manager. Richard is an accomplished woodcarver, has produced woodblock prints and is a key artist representing the traditional Kimberley practice of boab engraving. He has been a key artist in several Waringarri Aboriginal Arts' collaborative art commissions and his work is held in The NGA and Wesfarmers collections.

Nathan Thomas was born and raised in Halls Creek. His grandmother was an artist at Warmun and inspired him to paint and as a young boy. Nathan enjoys wood carving, boab nut painting, drawing and is passionate about learning. His grandfather used to make artefacts and animal sculptures from wood which also inspired him to make similar things. He has recently become involved in animation at Waringarri Arts which he finds interesting and different.​

Maureen Simon is a Miriwoong Gajirrawoong women. Maureen loves doing carving and painting. Especially carving insects and other animals on Boab Nuts. in 2023, Maureen won the Kimberley Art Prize in the Boab Nut Category.​

Chris Boorgaga Griffiths was born in Kununurra and wne tot school in both Kununurra and Broome. Chris has worked at Waringarri Radio, Tennant Creek Gold and the Bradshaw Company where he is a Director and cultural consultant. Chris also works at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts as an arts worker, among other roles. The art centre is a place for Chris to learn and understand the history, the stories, the songs and the dances that the old people are trying to pass on. The art centre is a place where he can work with his culture , a place that helps him to learn so that he can, in turn, pass on knowledge to the next generation.​

Jerome Campbell is an artist and woodcarver who has worked at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts.

Mary Ngunair is an artist and woodcarver who is part of Waringarri Aboriginal Arts.

Tanya Singer, is a Minyma Anangu woman and her partner, Errol Evans, is a Djabugay and Western Yalanji man from far north Queensland. They live on her Country, in Railway Bore near Indulkana on the APY Lands of northern South Australia, around 700k north of Adelaide. Out on Country ‘there’s just wide open spaces, no traffic and it’s nice and quiet – we can do whatever we want out here’, says Errol. ​

Tanya and Errol are highly skilled wood (punu) artists living and practicing their craft on homelands at Railway Bore, they form a strong carving team bringing traditions from the wet tropics and the desert together. ​

Errol and Tanya have spent time in each other’s communities, and learn from their unique relationships with Country, family and community, and engage with each other’s cultural practices and traditions.​