Samson Bonson
Maningrida, NT
One side of this work is a representation of the mimih, which sits within a complex and important pedagogical and religious body of knowledge linking Kuninjku people to their distinctive escarpment homelands. The other side is a Ngalkodjek yawkyawk of Barrihdjowkkeng Country, which wraps around the mimih�s torso. The painting is executed with Bonson�s renowned precision and attention to detail.
About the Artist
Samson Bonson is a Gurrgoni sculptor working through Maningrida Arts and Culture, based on Kunib�dji Country in Arnhem Land. Born in 1968, Samson was taught to sculpt in the late 1990s by Crusoe Kurddal (1964�2020), a notable maker of mimih spirit carvings.
Samson is known for the refined carvings and the minute nature of his decoration on the main body of his mimih carvings.
Significant exhibitions of his work have taken place across the globe including in the Kingdom of Bahrain, England, and the United States. In 2007 his work was acquired by the British Museum. Samson�s work is in high demand and features in the collections of institutions and private collectors nationally and internationally. He has been selected previously as a finalist in the 2008, 2009 and 2012 iterations of the annual Telstra NATSIAA.
