Wangaratta Art Gallery

NEW ACQUISITION 🌞

We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of Mawirranga (Sandy Island), a radiant, small-scale sunmat created by expert weaver and harvester, Janette Murrungun.

Mawirranga (Sandy Island) tells the story of the artist’s home, Gulurrutj (Rocky Point), a land of picturesque shores, billabongs, and waterholes. The piece is composed of Nanja (ghost net), alluding to the abandoned fishing ropes that threaten local sea life. Mawirranga (Sandy Island) encourages us to take care of the places that take care of us.

Janette Murrungun has exhibited nationally and internationally, with professional placements at the National Gallery of Australia and the University of Melbourne’s Grimwade Centre. She also practices as an arts worker at Numbulwar Numburindi Arts, advocating for artmaking through the organisation as a source of wellbeing and cultural transmission.

Mawirranga (Sandy Island) featured in Petite Miniature Textiles 2026, the latest instalment of the widely adored biennial exhibition presented by Wangaratta Art Gallery since 2012. This year, Petite ran from 27 June – 13 September, with guest curator Cara Johnson asking artists to respond to the theme ‘in the detail’. Visitors were captivated by Janette Murrungun’s stunning contribution.

Next year, Mawirranga (Sandy Island) will be travelling with the rest of Petite Miniature Textiles 2026 to the Jam Factory Seppeltsfield where they will be on display to the South Australian public, before returning home to Wangaratta Art Gallery’s permanent collection.

📷 Janette Murrungun, Mawirranga (Sandy Island), 2026, Maguj (pandanus) and Nanja (reclaimed ghost netting), 25cm diameter. Wangaratta Art Gallery Collection. Represented by Numbulwar Numburindi Arts. Purchased with the assistance of the Kyamba Foundation. Photo Jeremy Weihrauch.