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'Virus Man' by Ray Mudjandi
Ray Mudjandi, from Mirarr and Western Arrernte clans, is an artist living in Djibiorrk in Kakadu National Park. Ray was born in Garramilla/Darwin and grew up between Djibiorrk and Katherine.
As a young child he experienced and overcame several serious health conditions, experiences that have influenced his creative practice.
As a teenager, Ray was mentored by Western Arnhem and Kakadu National Park senior cultural artists Graham Rostron and Abel Naborlhborlh. He also began working with artist Damien Kamholtz. Their collaborations informed Ray's first exhibition, a solo show at Outstation Gallery when he was 16 years old. The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory acquired the entire exhibition for its Aboriginal Art and Material Culture collection.
Ray now works through Marrawuddi Art & Culture in Jabiru. He is constantly creating superhero characters with intricate narratives, often in response to his surroundings and issues that affect him and his community.
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
"Virus Man is a bad guy, a villain; he wants to try and destroy the world by making everyone
sick. He goes up people’s nose. He knows all the people walking, he goes inside their bodies. To everybody, all sick. He can turn into that little virus and that’s how that virus gets inside the body. When the virus goes inside, it kills. When virus goes in the body, it spreads through whole body, it knocks him down, dead. When the man gets sick and then all the people split up and run away from the virus. The virus man, he destroys a lot of people around the world. It happened in 2020, when it spread like that"
The body of work that grew from Mudjandi’s superheroes concept went on to form his first exhibition at the young age of sixteen at Outstation Gallery in Darwin. The exhibition entitled ‘Bininj Ikon’ depicted a team of Bininj superheros. The collection of works in its entirety was acquired by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, and part of it was exhibited in 2020 in their collection exhibition ‘Fresh: connecting new and old art’.
Mudjandi is constantly creating new superhero characters with intricate narratives, often in response to his surroundings, and issues that may affect him and his community.
Find out more about Ray Mudjandi HERE
Mural Location: Vimy Lane, Parap
