Churchill Cann / Dingo Dreaming – Texas Downs

A senior Gija artist who worked for many years as a stockman before painting at Warmun alongside Rover Thomas and other pioneers. He developed an individual visual language and became an important figure in East Kimberley art. Churchill (Yoonany) was born on Texas Downs Station in 1947, where his father was a stockman and his mother was employed in the station homestead. Churchill passed away peacefully at home in January 2016, surrounded by his family after a long illness.

There he started to paint with his close friend Rover Thomas and with Jack Britten, Hector Jandany, Henry Wambini and the other male artists. Churchill was a respected Elder, a healer, with amazing knowledge of his country and the cultural Ngarrangkarni (Dreamtime) narratives associated with his Culture. He quickly became noticed for his individual approach and went on to participate in many exhibitions, with his artworks now in galleries and collections worldwide.