East Kimberley Focus

02 July -

 

 

East Kimberley Focus is the first of our series of online presentations. Each month we will delve into the Nomad collections to uncover hidden gems, profile selected artists and present new work. The idea is to reflect on the extraordinary creative output by Aboriginal artists and printmakers over the last two decades.

 

This month we are focusing on two Kimberley Art Centres, Warmun Arts and Waringarri Arts from the east Kimberley Ranges. Aboriginal artists in the Kimberly have been making etchings, screen prints and lithographs since the 1990s. The collection includes great artists such as Queenie McKenzie, Betty Carrington, Mabel Juli, Lena Nyadbi, Rammey Ramsey, Rusty Peters, Gabriel Nodea, Mignonette Jamin, Billy Thomas and Paddy Carlton to name a few.

 

Since its inception in 1998, Warmun Art Centre has been one of remote Australia’s most significant cultural institutions. Owned and governed by Gija people, the centre was established by founding members of the contemporary painting movement in Warmun such as Queenie McKenzie, Lena Nyadbi, Betty Carrington and others. The elders recognised and responded to the need for a community owned and controlled centre through which they could support, maintain and promote Gija art, belief, language and culture.

 

Established 20 years earlier in the late 1970’s, in the heart of Miriwoong country at Kununurra, Waringarri artists also convey the importance of their country and culture through art. Miriwoong land extends from the Northern Territory border to Kununurra, Lake Argyle, Keep River and the Ord River in the east Kimberley.

 

A range of printmakers from studios such as Red Hand Prints, Northern Editions, Basil Hall Editions and Australian Print Workshop have worked in collaboration with Miriwoong and Gija artists to produce stunning and ground breaking contemporary art prints. We are pleased to present a small selection of these works from the past & present.

 

View works by Warmun artists on the online gallery

 

View works by Waringarri artists on the online gallery