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Name |
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John Dewar |
Skin Name |
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Ngarritj |
Domain |
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Manyallaluk, NT Australia
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Language |
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Mayali
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John Dewar’s (often known as “Long Johnny” or “Long John”) traditional land is north of Katherine in the Oenpelli (Gunbalanya) area but he has lived many years in Manyallaluk since his family went there for work on Eva Valley Cattle Station and Yeuralba Tin Mine. He has worked on various cattle stations in the region himself and as a Tour Guide in Manyallaluk. John attributes his painting skills to the tuition of his brother, Peter Bolgi.
Peter taught him how to harvest stringy bark, make his own natural pigments and use a reed brush. Johnny’s paintings and artefacts are held in collections in Australia and internationally, in particular by The Gallery of Aboriginal Artists of Australia. Johnny is now one of Manyallaluk’s most prolific artists. His still works with natural ochres but for the most part has switched to working with acrylics. His paintings are in high demand with the many tourists who visit Manyallaluk and have been purchased by numerous Australian and international visitors. He also gets many requests for special commission pieces from people who have met him and seen his work.
If you were to visit his donga, you would most likely find Johnny hard at work on a canvas, a bark painting or a didgeridoo. In his words, “I don’t like to just sit around; I like to paint and keep busy.” He also makes spears, spear throwers, clap sticks and some small carvings. When he is not at work as a tour guide or involved in making artefacts, Johnny will take off in his little ute and go bush for a day or two, hunting, fishing and gathering raw materials for more artefacts. |
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