WARMUM COMMUNITY

The Warmun, or Turkey Creek Community is located in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, 3000 km northeast of Perth. It is one of the main centres for east Kimberley aboriginal art. Paintings from this community are very different from those of the central and western desert art paintings, in that they are characterised by planes of brown, black and yellow ochre defined by black and white dots. Kimberley artists paint maps of their country, and depict the underlying structure of the land, rather than what they see on the surface, often including ancestor figures, or historical events significant to their community.

 

The Gija people established the Warmun community in the 1970s, from its early beginnings as a ration depot and cattle station. The artists painted onto boards, and these were carried by dancers during a song and dance ceremony called Krill Krill. These paintings led to the growth and evolution of the east Kimberley style of painting. The Warmun Art Centre was established in 1998 to represent Warmun artists and market their work worldwide. It operates as an artists studio and gallery space, helping the artists achieve economic independence, and giving them the opportunity to share the Gija culture. The Art centre helped showcase their extraordinary knowledge and creativity, and brought east Kimberley art to world attention.

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Lena Nyadbi is a Warmum Community artist.