Merrepen Arts: Aboriginal Art from Nauiyu, Daly River, Northern Territory
Merrepen Arts was founded in 1986 in Nauiyu, a community of around 450 people situated 225 kilometres south of Darwin on the Daly River, in the Douglas Daly region of the Northern Territory. The MalukMaluk people are the traditional owners of the land. The community name Nauiyu Nambiyu means "coming together in one place", a reflection of the area's long history as a meeting place for multiple language groups, including Ngan'gikurrungurr, Ngen'giwumirri, and more than ten others still spoken in the region.
The art centre opened primarily as a women's centre. During educational activities it became apparent that the women were talented artists, and painting quickly gained momentum. The centre is now an artists' cooperative with around 100 members working across acrylic painting, screen-printed fabric, weaving, ceramics, etching, and lino printing. Merrepen is particularly known for its hand screen-printed fabrics, with bold designs drawn from the tropical landscape, the Daly River and its wetlands, and the plants and animals of the region. Patricia McTaggart Marrfurra is the centre's most senior weaver, her skills inherited through her mother and grandmother. A traditional story in the community tells of how weaving began: women sitting together saw a spider's web and said, "we could do that." The weaving has continued in that spirit ever since, producing dilly bags, fish nets, baskets, and sun mats from Merrepen and Pandanus leaves.
The gallery occupies an elevated building in the centre of Nauiyu township, elevated deliberately as the Daly River floods regularly, with major inundation events in 1998, 2011, 2015, 2017, and 2019. A separate ground-level building houses the fabric printing workshop. The gallery also holds a small museum and a knowledge and language archive, where community members are working to repatriate and preserve recordings and stories for future generations. No permit is required to visit.
Merrepen Arts at a glance
- Location: Nauiyu Community, Daly River, Northern Territory. 225km south of Darwin (approximately 2.5 to 3 hours by bitumen road).
- Traditional Owners: MalukMaluk people. The community also includes Ngan'gikurrungurr, Ngen'giwumirri, and more than ten other language groups.
- Established: 1986, originally as a women's centre.
- Art Forms: Acrylic painting, hand screen-printed fabric, weaving (Merrepen and Pandanus leaves), ceramics, etching, and lino printing.
- Notable Artists: Patricia McTaggart Marrfurra (weaving), Kieren Karritpul (painting and printmaking).
- Access: No permit required. Gallery open weekdays, email ahead to confirm as hours vary. Caution advised on the Daly River road, particularly in the wet season.
