The Katherine East gallery celebrated their first exhibition back after COVID-19 forced their temporary closure with the work of Daly River artist Kieren Karritpul.

Mr Karritpul's 'Painting my country painting my culture' exhibition is now being discussed as potentially the best ever set of works to ever land at Godinymayin.

Attention was drawn to the vibrant and kinetic use of colours, a distinct skill-set Mr Karritpul says has been passed down to him by family members since he was just five years old.

"I always put my culture into what I paint," he said.

"To paint gives has always given me a sense of passion I don't get anywhere else.

"It keeps me busy and allows me a way to keep my history.

"Through painting we can pass knowledge of our country on to the next generation, of bush tucker, of animals or whatever else," Mr Karritpul said.

His mother Patricia McTaggart's baskets, weaved over four-five months in the traditional way from sand palm, were displayed alongside her son's paintings.

In attendance on Saturday night, she said her son's talents have been honed by the excellent abilities of observation and listening essential to cultures with principally oral traditions of storytelling.

"It's mind-boggling for me to see this but at the same time he works so hard and fast I can't say I'm really surprised," she said.

"Ever since he was a little fella he's been watching and listening to everything, hanging around the old people his whole life.

"Because we never wrote things down, that's how our culture continues and survives, so he was always hanging around me learning little things and now here he is.

"... he has grown up with four generations of our family to learn from," Ms McTaggart said.

Godinymayin also commissioned a mural next to its gallery by Mr Karritpul and fellow Daly River artists Dylan Minggun, Nola Jimarin and Selina Wungung.

The mural was a first try at doing walls for the artists as they experiment with expanding their work from canvas onto a much larger scale.

Godinymayin chairperson Toni Tapp Coutts said it was just fantastic for the centre to be back in action.

"I think if not the absolute best then definitely among them," Ms Tapp Coutts said.

"It's incredible to think he is only 26, and I firmly believe over the coming years he will be among the most recognised artists in Australia.

"I think Saturday night was terrific even beyond his work though, as a community event bringing people together and re-launching the centre going forward.

"Some of the speeches about town and the centre were excellent, and to have drinks and a sausage sizzle it was clear how much the town enjoyed it.

"We have $4.5 million worth of upgrades and extensions happening so it's a really exciting time for us and we'll have many more such events," she said.

The event was also blessed by a range of art from the Salvation Army's doorways hub, the artists from which completed their art despite problems with homelessness.

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