Graham Badari is one of Western Arnhem Land’s most exciting contemporary figurative artists. His paintings are a bold fusion of old and new, combining the ancient stories and visual traditions of the Kunwinjku people with more contemporary influences from the modern world. Equal parts elegance and edginess, Badari’s work presents a stunning new vision of an ancient culture, invigorating it with the power of his unique artistry. Indigenart, Mossenson Galleries, in conjunction with Injalak Arts (Gunbalanya, NT) is proud to present the first solo exhibition from this important contemporary artist.

A pair of red eyes glowers from an angular, skeletal visage. Its snarling grimace revels sharp teeth, its razor-like claws borne forth ready to strike. This is one of the unseen dangers of the bush: Namarlpe, the malevolent spirit of the box pandanus. When pregnant, Kunwinjku women avoid walking too close to pandanus bushes, in case Namarlpe captures the spirit of their unborn babes. In Graham Badari’s painting, this terror is brilliantly evoked through a combination of jagged ferocity and delicate cross-hatching or rarrk. His painting transports the viewer to the mystical landscape of the stone country, where spirits inhabit every crevice and ancient paintings adorn the rock-faces.

Graham Badari was born in 1963 at Gunbalanya (Oenpelli) in Western Arnhem Land. His country is Maburrinj, near Kudjekbinj, about 120 kilometers east of Gunbalanya. He was raised by the renowned artist Djawida Nadjongorle, but like many of the artists at Gunbalanya, credits the late Thompson Yulidjirri as his greatest artistic influence. From these senior men, Badari learnt the fluid and dynamic style that defines Kunwinjku painting at Injalak Arts. He began painting sporadically around 1990, but in recent years, his career has gained a new focus and momentum. Following the recent passing of several of the senior artists at Gunbalanya, Badari has become part of a small coterie of dedicated artists, which includes Wilfred Nawirridj, Glenn Namundja, Gabriel Maralngurra, and Gershom Garlngarr. They are a ubiquitous presence at Injalak Arts, and are fiercely proud of their art, community and centre. Their paintings show a faithful dedication to the visual language of their rock-art heritage, while remaining committed to artistic innovation. It is this beguiling balance of tensions – innovation and tradition, ancient and modern, beauty and terror – that energises Badari’s paintings.

To understand how Badari’s paintings could so effortlessly embody these apparent dualities, it is necessary to understand how these competing positions coexist within Badari’s worldview, informing his unique and eccentric personality. With his impish smile and cheeky sense of humour, Badari or ‘Grammy’ as he affectionately known, is the gentlest of souls. He is a popular figure at the art centre, a beloved tour guide and font of community news. And yet, as his paintings suggest, Badari has a fascination with the darker side of life. Walking in the bush, he is careful to warn of the dangers of Namarlpe or other malicious spirits such as Namorrodoh or Namarnde. Always concerned with the safety of his guests, he cautions of the equal dangers posed by the very present Kinga (salt-water crocodile) and the more otherworldly Ngalyod (Rainbow Serpent). Badari believes wholeheartedly in the presence of these spirit beings; they are an intrinsic part of the cultural heritage that has informed his life.

Badari is also sensitively attuned to the modern world. The ease with which he traverses this cosmology of the mystical and the everyday is evident in his attraction to western science-fiction and fantasy imagery. This passion is not only reflected in Badari’s paintings, but in his distinctive choice of fashion. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Badari is a keen follower of heavy metal music, with his favourite band being the Swedish group Hammer Fall. A comparison can be made between Badari’s depictions of Namarlpe and Namarnde and the red-eyed, hammer-wielding leviathan featured on the group’s album covers. When questioned on these striking visual parallels, Badari is quick to refute such influences, preferring to highlight the traditional aspects of his work. To Badari, these are ancient stories that he holds in the deepest respect, and he rejects the suggestion that he might be trifling with them by bringing in profane external influences.

This disavowal reveals the very essence of Badari’s paintings. Badari's use of contemporary imagery is not a form of ironic, post-modern appropriation; he is an artist of deep, abiding integrity. The meticulous care that he takes with his work, with its fine attention to detail and delicate rarrk, is a reflection of the reverence with which he holds both stories that he paints and visual tradition they embody. Badari’s paintings are heartfelt depictions of his cultural heritage, and he paints them with all his being, striving to make them as vivid, striking and beautiful as possible. His works offer contemporary statements of grace and beauty, depicting the fluid movement of Yawk Yawk female freshwater spirits residing in sacred waterholes, or detailed anatomical renderings of wildlife held significant to the artist. If they are a fusion of old and new, it is because Badari’s worldview completely, comfortably and intuitively traverses both Indigenous and western episteme. His paintings are reflections on a living culture, offering the observer an ephemeral glimpse of a society being challenged on many fronts. Like all great artists, Badari captures the spirit of his time, and through his unique artistry, transposes tradition into a dynamic contemporary vision.

Graham Badari is a three-time finalist in the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards. His 2009 entry in the awards was acquired by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. In 2008 he was highly commended in The Age Melbourne Fringe Festival, and in 2009 his work toured with the exhibition Menagerie staged by Object Gallery/The Australia Museum. Indigenart, Mossenson Galleries is proud to present this important exhibition from one of Western Arnhem Land’s most innovative and exciting contemporary artists. The exhibition will be opened from 2-4pm on Saturday 20 March 2010 at Mossenson Galleries, 115 Hay Street, Subiaco, WA. Graham Badari will be present for the opening. For more information, please contact Mossenson Galleries on (08) 9388 2899 or art@mossensongalleries.com.au