Gordon John
Pupangamirri

Gordon is an important member of the Ngaruwanajirri team. A past executive member of ANKA the association for Aboriginal artists across the NT, he has had extensive experience in many roles in the Indigenous art industry, as a prominent leader, an advisor, a curator, and touring and speaking with Tiwi Art shows.

He attended the Pacific Arts Festival in the Solomon Islands representing Australia and was a manager of the sales of Indigenous arts at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. His education has been wide and varied and included studies for the Batchelor of Visual Arts at Charles Darwin University in 1994, and a Certificate in Indigenous leadership in 2011.

Gordon has painted murals throughout the Tiwi Islands on prominent buildings related to childcare and health as well as the arts. He carves and paints as well as playing guitar and composing as a member of several groups ( currently the Ngayawuti Band). 

1994 - Gordon and Thomas Munkanome were selected to be part of a Sculpture Symposium in Broken Hill NSW. This was a stone carving Symposium with other sculptors from around the world.

2022 - Gordon, Barry Kantilla, David Tipuamantumirri and Graham Tipungwuti`s group of carvings, “First Death on the Tiwi Islands”, was selected for the Wynne Prize, Art Gallery NSW.