Hunter Barnes

Hunter Barnes is a proud Ngiyampaa man descendant of Jimmy Keewong and Kitty Nerange. Hunter is well known for his portrait and realism artwork and is a passionate and respected tattoo artist.

Hunter proudly was the 2024 Contemporary NAIDOC Artist of the year at Dubbo, a finalist in 2023 at the prestigious, Rider Levett Bucknall Innovation and Excellence Awards for Best Public Art Project. In 2024 he provided artwork for Spinal Cord Injuries Australia for their reconciliation journey and has designed and contributed to 330m2 of visual art and educational material at the ABQ Biopark in Albuquerque New Mexico, showcasing culture.

His intricate understanding of traditional markings and commitment to learning traditional applications sees him continuously learn, perfecting his craft and sharing his knowledge for the conservation of his culture. Hunter continues to apply traditional methods to the contemporary art field of tattooing.

Hunter is a disciplined student of language and is an avid supporter of restoration programs. He himself learning his own Ngiyampaa language. One of his career highlights in this journey was to be chosen for the front cover of the most recent edition publication of the Ngiyampaa Language Dictionary printed by AIATSIS.

Hunter continues to grow his artistic expression aligned with his cultural responsibility and respect as a First Nation’s man.

Hunter is respected and requested by schools and youth work alike, for his murals and workshops with young people.

Ngiyampaa – Keewong Mob

The Ngiyampaa (pronounced nee-yam-par) are dryland people. Ngiyampaa Country takes in the plains and rocky hills east of the Darling River, extending north from Willandra Creek.