Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda (1947 – 16 February 2021) was an Aboriginal Australian community leader and artist from Yirrkala, Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Madarrpa leader Djambawa Marawili, who was chair of the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre and Museum, is also considered her son by kinship.
[1] In her community, Wirrpanda was regarded as an important elder and ceremonial leader, which was a rare position for a woman to hold in Yolngu law.
[4] Wirrpanda's artwork largely focuses on edible plants and natural species as well as the Dhudi-Djapu miny'tji relating to her land near Dhuruputjpi.
[5][6] Wirrpanda produced a series of exhibitions surrounding botany and plant life in the Miwatj region with British painter John Wolesely.
This partnership began through "Djalkiri: We are standing on their names", a collaborative project between Yolngu leaders and ethnobotanists to generate prints showcasing their land through different perspectives.
They met every Midawarr (harvest) season for several years to create more than 80 works and multimedia focusing on Yolngu knowledge and sustainable living practices, documenting more than 30 species.
[3] The main exhibit launched at the National Museum of Australia in November 2017 and coincided with the release of the book, Midawarr | Harvest, which functions as a modern botanical guide for Yolngu and Australian communities.