Christine Burarrwanga | Aboriginal Bush Traders Indigenous Artist Profile

Christine Burarrwanga

Christine Burarrwanga is a Yolŋu artist, author, and community leader from Yirrkala in Northeast Arnhem Land. Strongly grounded in her cultural heritage, she uses both her artwork and professional practice to preserve ancestral stories and support the wellbeing of her community.

Art practice and influences

Christine learned her artistic style through her mother, drawing on inherited knowledge, traditional law, and dhawu(story). Her work reflects deep cultural connection and often features local wildlife and ancestral narratives, including turtles, crocodiles (Baru), barramundi, brolgas, and butterflies.

She primarily works with vibrant acrylics on canvas, incorporating traditional diamond patterns and rarrk that represent identity and cultural meaning—such as designs symbolising crocodile skin or moiety affiliations.

Her artworks are held and exhibited through galleries including Aboriginal Bush Traders.

Writing and community work

Beyond visual art, Christine is also active in advocacy and community wellbeing, particularly around mental health and cultural safety. She co-authored the therapeutic children’s book The Life of Tree with Lucy Van Sambeek, created to help Indigenous children process experiences and emotions connected to family violence in a culturally safe way.

Through her work with Metaphorically Speaking, she contributes to counselling and healing programs that integrate Aboriginal cultural knowledge with Western therapeutic methods.

Aboriginal Art 2 Baru Nesting by Christine Burarrwanga
Aboriginal Art 2 Baru Nesting by Christine Burarrwanga
Aboriginal Bush Traders

2 Baru Nesting by Christine Burarrwanga

$1,335.00
1 in stock
  • Title: 2 Baru Nesting
  • Artist: Christine Burarrwanga
  • Size: 138 x 80cm
  • Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
  • Region: Yirrkala

Artist Profile:

Christine Burarrwanga - Artist from  Yirrkala, N.E Arnhem Land

A Yolngu woman deeply connected to her culture, Christine has inherited her artistic style from her mother which comes from her ancestors’ knowledge, lore and stories. 

Christine has also released a book, with Lucy Van Sambeek, called “The Life of Tree.” This children’s therapeutic picture book creates a culturally safe space for Aboriginal children to express difficult emotions around their experiences with family violence.

Through their organization ‘Metaphorically Speaking’, Christine offers culturally safe counselling and therapeutic services to Aboriginal women, children, and families using both Western counselling methodologies and traditional Aboriginal healing methods.

Sea Turtles by Christine Burarrwanga
Sea Turtles by Christine Burarrwanga
Aboriginal Bush Traders

Sea Turtles by Christine Burarrwanga

$120.00
1 in stock
  • Artist: Christine Burarrwanga
  • Title: Sea Turtles
  • Region: Yirrikala
  • Size: 35cm x 25cm
  • Medium: Acrylic on Canvas

Christine Burarrwanga – Artist from Yirrkala, N.E Arnhem Land

Christine is a Yolngu woman deeply connected to her culture. Christine has inherited her artistic style from her mother, which comes from her ancestors’ knowledge, lore and stories.

Christine has also released a book with Lucy Van Sambeek called “The Life of Tree.” This children’s therapeutic picture book creates a culturally safe space for Aboriginal children to express difficult emotions around their experiences with family violence. Through their organisation ‘metaphorically Speaking’, Christine offers culturally safe counselling and therapeutic services to Aboriginal women, children and families using both Western counselling methodologies and traditional Aboriginal healing methods.

'Baru' is recognised by Yolngu as being part of the Yirritja moiety. For artists of the Madarrpa and Gumatj clans. The figurative representation in artworks is frequently accompanied by elongated diamond-patterned designs which are representative of the serrated bumps along a crocodile's back. For Yolngu 'Baru' is an animal to be treated with great respect.