ARTIST PROFILE
Churchill Cann
Churchill (Yoonany) was born on Texas Downs Station in 1947, where his father was a stockman and his mother worked in the station homestead. He speaks both Kitja and Mirriuwong.
He spent most of his working life on Texas and followed his father's footsteps as a valued stockman and horse-breaker. He also worked on Alice Downs, Mabel Downs, Spring Creek and Lissadell Stations.
Along with Dougie McCale and Patrick Mung Mung, he eventually moved to Turkey Creek (Warmun Community). There he began to paint with his close friend Rover Thomas and with Jack Britten, Hector Jandany, Henry Wambini and the other male artists. He quickly became noticed for his individual style and went on to participate in many exhibitions, with his paintings now in galleries and collections worldwide.
He is rather surrounded by art - his female relatives being recognised artists - his sisters Katie Cox and Nancy Nodea, his former wife - International artist Sade Carrington and in particular their daughter Charlene Carrington.
He knows his country well and is a marvellous storyteller - particularly about his paintings.
Selected Group and Solo Exhibitions
1994
- Australian Heritage Commission, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Old Parliament House, Canberra
1998
- William Mora Gallery, Melbourne
1999
- Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
- Hale School Annual Art Exhibition, Perth
- Hogarth Galleries, Sydney
- Japingka Gallery, Fremantle
- Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin
- Short Street Gallery, Broome
2000
- Ben Grady Gallery, Canberra
- Hogarth Galleries, Sydney
- Art of the Aborigines, Leverkusen, Germany (in co-operation with Aboriginal Art Gallery Bahr, Speyer)
- State of My Country, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney
- The Collection, Aboriginal Fine Art & Weavings, Gallery Australis, Adelaide
- Dream Paths, Contemporary Painting, Australian Aborigines, Stadtische Gallery, Traunstein, Germany (in co-operation with Aboriginal Art Gallery Bahr, Speyer)
2001
- The Unseen in Scene, Staditische Gallery Wolfsburg, Germany (in co-operation with Aboriginal Art Gallery Bahr, Speyer)
- Ochre Show, Short Street Gallery, Broome
2002
- Recounting the Essence of Life. Art from Australia, Kunstforum HDZ, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany (in co-operation with Aboriginal Art Gallery Bahr, Speyer)
- The Strength & The Light. Art from Australia. New Art Association Aschaffenburg, Germany (in co-operation with Aboriginal Art Gallery Bahr, Speyer)
- Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, Australia
- Images and Identity, Ev. Academy Iserlohn, Germany (in co-operation with Aboriginal Art Gallery Bahr,Speyer)
- Span Galleries, Melbourne
- Thornquest Gallery, Southport
- Garmerrun: All Our Country, Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide
2003
- Big Country. Works from the Flinders University Art Museum collection, Flinders University City Gallery, Adelaide
- Ngarrgoorroon, Yiyili and Yarrunga - Four Artists from Warmun, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney
2004
- The Essence of Things. City Gallery Bamberg Villa Dessauer, Bamberg, Germany (in co-operation with Aboriginal Art Gallery Baher, Speyer)
2006
- Gentlemen Of Warmun, featuring works by Churchill Cann, Patrick Mung Mung, Clancy Patrick, Beerbee Mungnari, Gordon Barney and Tommy Carroll, Seva Frangos Art, Perth
2007
- All Around Texas Downs, Churchill Cann, Charlene Carrington and Phyllis Thomas, Japingka Gallery, Perth
Selected Collections
- Artbank, Sydney
- Kelton Foundation, Los Angeles
- Kerry Stokes Collection, Perth
- University of Wollongong
- Private and Corporate Collections Worldwide