Finalist: National Capital Art Prize

August – September 2022  
Fitter’s Workshop, artsACT| Canberra ACT 

The National Capital Art Prize is an annual award that is the first Australia-wide competition for artworks of any subject.  

Reflecting on what story she wanted to tell, artist Stephanie Danggarrdjalmandja Durilla created ‘Old Ways’, a pictorial deep dive into the traditional practices of Wanindilyakwa on Groote Eylandt. In her own words:  

“This is a story about our wurrarumuruma (old people). They used to wear the yinukwamba (bark dress) and the Mawilya (string shorts). They used to carry the food with the ajamurnda (coolamon) and the kayuwa (dilly bag). These are all the tools we used a long time ago. We made them all from the trees and plants and stones. I painted these images to tell the stories of our ancestors for the next generation. We are proud of Anindilyakwa culture” 

The National Capital Art Prize is the first prize Stephanie has ever entered her work into and she is proud to both be selected as a finalist and that her work was purchased by a lucky art lover.