Guidance of Ones’ Past
Trent Bundirrik Lee’s (Instagram: @bundirrik_1) new public artwork embodies traditional ritual knowledge of the Larrakia Community
Located in Bicentennial Park, between the playground and the sculpture, mirragma gunugurr-wa, the artwork titled Guidance of Ones’ Past, draws upon the artist’s deep connection to his craft.
Meet the Artist
A proud Larrakia person through a Nardang father, grandmother Alap, and part of the large Cubillo family. Taught from a young age to paint in the traditional way, and from around ten years old, learned the cultural practices of carving and creating artefacts such as spears, boomerangs and carvings of birds, turtles and stingrays. Creative expression continues to be shaped by strong family influences, including parents, uncles, aunties and cousins.
Cultural works, including spears and artefacts, are held in the offices of the Governor-General, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, senior Defence Force representatives and the American Consulate. Coins have also been designed for a former Northern Territory Chief Minister.
Active in the Darwin street art scene, with murals featured across schools, businesses, and community spaces in Darwin and Palmerston. The largest mural, located at the Palmerston Recreation Centre, spans 36 metres long and 12 metres high. In 2024, an invitation to Los Angeles led to the creation of a mural promoting Northern Territory tourism.
Commissions include the creation of traditional canoes, one made with my Nardang (father, Tony) and four with Nandang (Roque Lee). Another was the sculpture mirragma gunugurr-wa, created with Garawa, and located in Bicentennial Park.
Other notable projects include walking path stickers for Bruce Munro’s Tropical Light exhibition, a 40 magpie geese installation at Brown’s Mart, awards for the National Indigenous Music Awards, seating design for TIO Stadium, a guernsey for the Gold Coast Suns, and multiple Supercars Indigenous Round designs, which including officials’ shirts, a race car and the main logo. Artwork has been exhibited at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair and featured in Larrakia Nation’s shopfront.
Photographer: Helspix
