Ju Ju Wilson / Purnululu (6B)

Ju Ju was born at Mantinea Flats in the East Kimberley and was educated at Beagle Bay.  She is of the Miriuwung Gajerrong group and her Aboriginal name is Burriwee – but to everyone she is “Ju Ju”.  She is a mother of six, tour guide, much sought after cultural advisor, expert in bush tucker, bush medicines and advisor to those publishing books on these subjects.  Ju Ju has made numerous appearances on television regarding these topics including the 2008 BBC documentary “Ray Mears Goes Walkabout”.  Ju Ju is a renowned didgeridoo maker, both carves and paints boomerangs and is an authority on rock art and sacred sites and speaks five dialects fluently.

Ju Ju is a member of a well known painting family – her late grandmother Sheba and mother Freda were also artists –three generations of very talented ladies. Ju Ju’s son and grandchildren also now paint so we have many generations of Wilson artists to look forward to in the future.

Her paintings and artefacts are collected world-wide.  In 2003 Ju Ju was asked to paint trophies for the Dubai Racing Club, home of the World’s Richest Race Meeting, featuring Australian Indigenous Animals.

Ju Ju has participated in printmaking, and a lithograph described as “c. 1996 printed in red ochre, from one stone” depicting a “boab tree and mountains” was acquired by the National Gallery of Australia, from Franck Gohier (the printer of the work), Darwin, celebrating the National Gallery of Australia’s 25th anniversary, 2007.

Ju Ju favours detailed subject matter in fine palette ochre – and because of her family connections, the content of her paintings range from the land around Kununurra to Purnululu (Bungle Bungles) and the incredible rock art found in the East Kimberley region.

I have painted the southern part of Purnululu (Bungle Bungles). The hills here are small and cone-shaped and they all look the same. Very easy to get lost in this part of the country. Really have to know the place very well and as the Kitja people who live near say, “It can swallow you up” which means you just don’t know which way to go. Many times the Aboriginal people have had to go into these Piccaninny Bungles to find lost travellers. The tributary of the Ord River is looking salty with not much water in it – waiting for the wet time to fill it up for good fishing.