Aileen Cheinmora / Gwion Gwion Rock Art (AC05)

Aileen Cheinmora was born in Wyndham Hospital, WA in 1979. She has lived in Kalumburu all her life. Kalumburu is an Aboriginal community set deep in the Wandjina spirit country, situated on the banks of the King Edward River and is the furthermost permanent settlement along the remote Kimberley coast in the north of Western Australia.

Aileen’s mother Maureen is from Bidyadanga community (180km south of Broome) and her father Alfred is from Kalumburu. Aileen went to school at Kalumburu and after finishing, became a teacher’s assistant at the school which she still does today. Aileen has one child, a little boy, Cassius.
Aileen was encouraged by friends and family to start painting in 2018 after years of watching and learning from her talented relatives such as Lily Karadada and Kevin Waina. She started by sketching and now paints the Wandjina and Gwion Gwion rock art which is abundant in her region on canvas.

Aileen is a naturally talented artist with a wonderful career ahead of her.

Gwion Gwions – Believed by the Woonumbul, Worora and Nygarijiw tribes to be the first people created by the Boss Wandjina. He gave them Law and Order to abide by. These rock art figures were discovered in the 1800’s by a pastoralist who was exploring the Kimberley. His name was Joseph Bradshaw, that’s why they are sometimes called Bradshaw figures. They are the hunting Gods, they tell us where the good places to hunt are and the places we should stay away from as well.