Margaret Rarru Garrawurra
Margaret Rarru Garrawurra is a senior Yolngu artist and weaver from Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Born in Galiwin'ku, as of 2025 she lives between her mother's Country of Laŋarra and Yurrwi. In Laŋarra, she gathers natural materials and processes them into artworks rooted in ancestral traditions and expressed through distinct, innovative forms.
Early life
Rarru was introduced to the art of weaving by her numa at a young age. She and her sister, Helen Ganalmirriwuy Garrawurra, were taught important Liyagawumirr clan designs by their father along with a deep understanding of the ancestral creation narratives of their tradition.In 2006, after the death of her brother Mickey Durrng, Rarru and her sister inherited the right to paint Liyagawumirr sacred designs. Their aunt, Ruth Nalmakarra, guided them in reviving this cultural inheritance.
Career
Rarru is a leading artist within Milingimbi Art and Culture and is widely respected in her community. She is particularly known for her woven bathi, including the "Madonna Bra" series and Mindirr Mol, black conical forms emphasising minimalist design. Her works incorporate functionality, as well as ceremonial significance, using design motifs such as ceremonial body painting patterns and referencing the journey of the ancestral Djaŋ'kawu Sisters.Rarru is credited with developing and refining the method for producing black dye from local plants, a technique that has become a hallmark of Yolŋu weaving. Among Yolŋu weavers, she is acknowledged as the rightful owner of this black dye, and its exclusive use is reserved for her and those she personally authorizes.