Born in Miwirnbi, Serena Bonson lives and works in Manigrida community in the Northern Territory. Her heritage is of Djowinge moiety, the Djinang language group and she is part of the Murrungun clan. Bonson has quickly become known for her striking carvings in stringybark painted in black and white to depict the Wangarra spirits. The Wangarra play a key role in the stories of Bonson’s community relating to death, birth and the transition of the spirit into the afterlife, and in rebirth. They are considered indicative of ancestral beings and deeply connected to the waterholes that are central to the stories of the clan and their connections to land.

Collections:
Artbank, Sydney, Australia