ARTIST PROFILE
Mona Ramsay
Mona was born at Old Greenvale Station 1938. Her language is Kitja and she is the eldest daughter of the late Timmy Timms, a celebrated Elder and International Artist.
When everyone from Old Greenvale Station relocated to the new Bow River Homestead which Sam and Maggie Lilly had built, combining Adavale and Greenvale Stations, Mona carried out household duties. Mona’s father Timmy was Head Stockman and “right hand man” for Sam. Mona “grew up” (raised/looked after) the three Lilly children whilst Maggie was assisting her husband to build the mighty Bow River Station (a million acre cattle empire) from the “grass roots”.
The “Bow” was granted to the Timms’ family (some time after Sam and Maggie onsold it) by the Government, with Timmy as Chairperson. At Tim’s funeral, Maggie, then 90 plus, proudly said to the mourners “Your family is my family, and mine is yours”.
After the death of her father, the full responsibility of running Bow River Station was put firmly on Mona’s shoulders.
Mona commenced painting in 1996. Her painting centres on Bow River, Bedford Downs station and surrounding areas.
Renowned artist Paddy Bedford (dcsd.) was her uncle – Mona was very close to her uncle Paddy, and depicts the stories of the Ngarrangkarni (Dreamtime) told by Paddy in flowing landscape style.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
• Argyle Diamonds
• Artbank
• Kerry Stokes Collection
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2002
• “Land is Life” Jagdschloss Granitz, Binz, Rügen, Germany, Gallery Bähr, Speyer, Germany
2001
• “The Unseen in Scene” Städtische Galerie, Wolfsburg, Germany, Gallery Bähr, Speyer
• “Recounting the Essence of Life”, Kunstforum HDZ, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, Galerie Bähr, Speyer
2000
• Ben Grady Gallery, Canberra
• Adelhausermuseum, Freiburg, Germany
• Galerie Bähr, Speyer, Germany
• Leverkusen and Dormagen, Germany
• “Out there - Currents in the Landscape” Cullity Gallery, University of Western Australia, Perth
1999
• “Aboriginal Art”, IHK Würzburg, Germany,
• Galerie Bähr, Speyer, Germany
• Bush Garden, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle
• East Kimberley Art Awards, Kununurra
• Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne,
• Hale School Annual Art Exhibition, Perth
• Hogarth Galleries, Sydney
• Japingka Gallery, Fremantle
• Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin
• Short Street Gallery, Broome