Mark Nodea / Cherabun Country (18159)

Mark was born in Derby in 1968. He resides in Turkey Creek and is the former Chairperson of Warmun Art Centre. He is a wonderful ambassador for his Community and the traditional ochre art of the area. Mark is well educated and an incredibly talented Traditional ochre artist. His charcoal sketches and figurative acrylic works are testimony of his ability in any sphere / medium of artworks.

He has been taught the stories of his land by his mother, artist Nancy Nodea, and paints her country, Texas Downs, and his father’s country around Cherabun Station. Mark’s father is Hanson Boxer, a Walmajarrie man, and this enables Mark to extend his content to embrace both Kitja land and his father’s country around Yakanarra (an excision of Go Go Station via Fitzroy Crossing) and Cherabun Station. His minimal and sometimes flamboyant style gives him scope for large works. He is undoubtedly one of the most naturally talented Australian artists.

Mark’s design won the 2002 Royal Australian Mint International Award for Pure Silver Collector Coin. The Royal Australian Mint has only released ten such coins since 1983. He has participated in Group Exhibitions and his first Solo in September 2003 at the prestigious Alison Kelly Gallery in Melbourne was a sell out success. In 2013, Mark beat a host of brilliant Western Australian artists to take first prize in the $20,000 Mid West Art Award for Excellence.

Selected Exhibitions

2007
• Ochre on Board, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA
• Back To The Board, Coo-ee Gallery, Sydney, NSW
• Wolf Creek Crater, AGOG, Melbourne, VIC

2003
• Mark Nodea, Alison Kelly Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
• Group Show, Framed Gallery, Darwin, NT
• East Kimberley Show, Short Street Gallery, Broome

2002
• Coomalie Culture Centre, Batchelor, NT
• All That Gija Country, Flinders University Museum, SA
• Thornquest Gallery, Gold Coast, QLD
• New Works From Warmun, Framed, Darwin, NT

2001
• In Celebration – The Peter Bailiee Aquisitive Exhibition, Flinders University Art Museum

Awards
• 2013 – First Prize, $20,000 Mid West Art Award for Excellence
• 2002 – Kimberley Interpreting Centre, Designer of Image for Medical Poster
• 2002 – Royal Australian Mint, Canberra, Designer of 10th Commemorative Silver Dollar

Selected Collections
• Laverty Collection, Sydney
• Ross Jones Collection, Sydney
• Art Gallery of Queensland

This is part of the country I just don’t visit enough any more. Used to when I was a little kid, with my father. The Cherabun Road goes right through from the highway east of Fitzroy Crossing, into Yakinarra Aboriginal Community. This country you just can’t forget. It’s on the border of the desert country to the south, but a bit better land with more rain. This is pretty different from the Kimberley country further to the north where I live now. The old people say the Rainbow Serpent made the creeks and rivers.