Woodinda is from the Jirrbal clan and from Ravenshoe and belongs to the language group Djribalngan, skin group, Gurrgila. Woodinda was born in Far North Queensland, and is one of the few artists that is painting the traditional stories of the rainforest people. In 1993 Woodinda was introduced to acrylic painting and since then he has expressed his artistic culture on canvas and water colour paper. The artist’s tradtional name, Woodinda is that of a great hunter of the Djribalngan people who lived back in the 1900’s to 1930’s, who’s name has been passed down from generation to generation. Woodinda’s father also carried the same name and he too was a very talented artist. At a young age Woodinda was given his name by his grandmother, who is approaching 90 years of age and is still living in her tradtional area of Ravenshoe, Far North Queensland.
Woodinda’s oldest son also carries the name of Woodinda so there are three generations that carry this strong name. Hunters are considered to be great value to the clan and must learn many skills, such as: tool use, tracking, reading the seasons, and knowledge of lore, song and dance. Throughout Woodinda’s paintings you will see the Djribalngan culture that has been instilled in him at a very young age by his grandmother and father, both of whom are very important people in the knowledge of this ancient cultural heritage of the Djribanlngan people. His cultural heritage passed down to him has given him a rich and strong connection to each painting he completes. Over the years his style has constantly evolved as he explores his artistic imagination by the traditional lifestyle that his ancestors once were governed by. The market demand and future potential of an artist such as Woodinda is yet to be fully realised.
As Woodinda gains in confidence and develops through various influences, his artist status will go from strength to strength. Many of Woodinda’s paintings depict the important foods that were hunted, cooked and gathered by men of his tribe. Each piece is done with intense concentration and with strong cultural creative energy. His unique style and use of warm, rich strong and sometimes bold colours, always gives the canvas a relationship with his people, clan and country. With other members of his family, he visits regularly many of the Principle waterholes and old campsites of the country in which he grew up, the country from whose ancient culture, come the stories and symbols that inspired Woodinda’s art. Woodinda is married to Karen Wallace, also an artist and they have four talented sons, three of them painting and selling their works at a number of galleries within Australia. Mundejah and Woodinda have instilled and passed on their cultural heritage to their four sons. Their names are Woodinda Jnr, Djirbal, Gangarrubay and Gurraca.
