Madigan Thomas / Dingo Dreaming

Madigan Thomas was a senior Gija Law woman and an important figure in the East Kimberley women’s painting movement. Born around 1932 on Violet Valley Station, she learned culture and Country from her elders and spent her early life working on stations before settling at Mabel Downs and Warmun. She remained closely connected to Violet Valley throughout her life.

Her natural-ochre paintings ranged from softly dotted landscapes of her home Country to bold Dreaming tracks, sacred sites and animal studies. Madigan helped establish the women’s painting movement in the 1970s alongside Queenie McKenzie and became known for works that conveyed complete narratives through pathways and Dreaming tracks. A finalist in the 1994 National Aboriginal Art Award, she is represented in major public and private collections. She passed away in 2011.