Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black)

Derik Lynch is an initiated Yankunytjatjara man born in Alice Springs in 1986. Derik grew up in community in Old Timers Camp in Alice Springs. He spent his childhood living between many communities in the Northern Territory and South Australia, including Umoona/Coober Pedy, Aputula/Finke, and Santa Teresa.

As a young man Derik studied in the Northern Territory at Yirara College, where he was selected to sing as a soloist on the Qantas Spirit of Australia Album (2000). He then moved to Adelaide at 16 and joined the Wiltja program at Woodville High. He began his arts work during High School with Port Youth Theatre (now Kurruru) as a work experience placement. After school Derik joined Carclew Youth Arts as workshop assistant working underneath Lee-Ann Buckskin on a Drug and Alcohol assistance arts outreach program.

Following this work Derik then studied with the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM) at Adelaide University. Following his study, Derik’s first major role in a public work Of The Future (2008) took place at Tandanya Theatre in the Adelaide Fringe Festival with Kurruru as a soloist dancer. Derik then returned to Carlew Youth Arts and became a Arts Administration Trainee. Major works Derik has been involved with as a performer and/or Cultural Advisor include Thalu (2020), Black Comedy (2018, 2015), Deadline Gallipoli (2014), Namatjira (2013), Hipbone Sticking Out (2013), Pinicchio (2012), and Nyuntu Ngali (2010). Derik has performed around Australia and the world including in at the Southbank Theatre, London, Belvoir Street Theatre (Sydney Theatre Company), and most recently at the Sydney Opera House with DANCERITES (2019). During the London run of Namatjira, Derik was also invited for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II.

His most recent work Marungka Tjalatjunu (2022) created with Australian artist Matthew Thorne, received the Silver Bear Jury Prize short film and Teddy Award at the 73rd Berlinale, the Documentary Australia Award at the Sydney Film Festival, and Best Short Documentary at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Derik’s is currently living in Adelaide, South Australia and working as an Artist and Aboriginal Community worker.

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Matthew Thorne (.1993) was born and raised in Adelaide, South Australia. His film and photographic work explores contemporary 'Australian' identity, spirituality, masculinity, and relationship to land, through blurred fiction/non-fiction frameworks, often working directly with real communities and people using co-created and re-enacted storytelling practices.

Matthew's work has been shown at various festivals including receiving the Silver Bear Jury Prize at Berlinale, Documentary Australia Prize at Sydney Film Festival, Best Short Documentary at Melbourne International Film Festival, and nomination for Best Short Documentary at the IDA Awards.

He received the Martin Kantor Portrait Prize (2023), Adelaide Film Festival & Samstag Gallery of Art Commission (2022), Australian Directors Guild Award for Music Video (2021), and was nominated for the Olive Cotton Award (2023), National Portrait Prize, Australia (2021), and Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize, UK (2020).

Recently, he has had solo shows at Greenaway Art Gallery, Adelaide (2023), Lagos Photo Festival, Nigeria (2023), Canberra Museum and Gallery with their Sidney Nolan collection (2022), and been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery of Australia (2021), National Portrait Gallery London (2020), and the Art Gallery of South Australia (2020).

He also contributed photography to Nick Cave and the Badseed’s album Ghosteen (2019), Justin Kurzel’s film True History of The Kelly Gang (2019), and Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant (2017), and has published two books Jingo was born in the slum (Jane & Jeremy, 2021), and For My Father (Palm*, 2018).

Matthew lives and works between Athens, Greece and Adelaide, Australia.