Ginger Riley Munduwalawala, Ngak Ngak in Limmen Bight River Country in the Wet, 1998, synthetic polymer paint on cotton duck, 191 x 186 cm © The Estate of Ginger Riley and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne.
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (c. 1936–2002) occupies a central place in the narrative of Australian contemporary art. Throughout his celebrated career, Riley developed and pushed his skill and interpretations-in-paint in new directions. He created a unique style that marked him as one of the country’s great artists with distinctive, vivid portrayals of the Country around the Limmen Bight and the Limmen Bight River on the east coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, Northern Territory. Known as ‘the boss of colour,’ Riley’s works are a visual representation of his personal connection to these landscapes and his cultural stewardship as the Jungkayi (custodian) of this area, his mother’s Country.
Alcaston Gallery presents a significant private collection of works by Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (c. 1936–2002), from the estate of the late Peter Speed. Peter Speed was a much-admired collector at Alcaston Gallery and a champion of Riley’s work, assembling an exceptional collection of works on canvas, paper, and board. The Speed Collection brings together an incredible legacy of Ginger Riley Munduwalawala’s artistic practice, exhibited together for the first time in Beyond the Paradigm: Aspirational First Nations Artists – Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (c.1936 – 2002).
