Nancy Nodea / Kangaroo Dreaming

Nancy was born in the bush at Buffalo Hole, Ngarrgooroon (Texas Downs) and grew up and worked on Texas Downs Station, along with many of her family members. The Kitja people who were born and/or worked on Texas Downs are among the most noteworthy of the Ochre Artists, including Queenie McKenzie (dcsd.), Hector Jandany (dcsd.), Nancy’s brother Churchill Cann, Katie Cox, Betty Carrington and Patrick Mung Mung. Nancy’s son Mark Nodea and her niece (Churchill’s daughter) Charlene Carrington are two of the most talented ochre artists the Kimberley region has produced.

Nancy began painting in 1994 with Madigan Thomas, Mabel Juli and the other female artists who were encouraged by Rover Thomas and Jack Britten. Nancy paints her country Texas Downs of which she has intimate knowledge, and invariably the landscape artwork is accompanied by a significant Traditional Dreamtime story.  Nancy attended bush school and also classes whilst at the leprosarium near Derby, and is able to include in her painting content historical themes concerning the early white settlers and her memories of the station life, as well as those stories passed on to her by her older family members.

Nancy and her brother Churchill are involved in negotiations for traditional custodianship of parts of their country, in particular Nancy’s birthplace, Buffalo Hole.  They take their children and grandchildren to Texas regularly to ensure the close association with this land will continue to inspire and encourage their family for generations.

Selected Exhibitions

2007
– “From the ground up: Ochre work from the Kimberley”, Chapman Gallery, Canberra
– “Greetings From Turkey Creek”, Mary Place Gallery, Paddington, Sydney
– “Warda-Wurrarrem” (All Kinds of Stars), Raft Artspace, Darwin

2006
– “Women Of Texas Downs,” Gadfly Gallery, Dalkeith, Perth
– “Warmun Art Centre Presents”, Mary Place Gallery, Sydney

2005
– “New Work From Warmun” Gladfly Gallery, Perth
– “Warmun Group Show”, Framed Gallery, Darwin,
– “Gija – Across The Border”, Raft Artspace, Darwin
– “Waterhole Country”, Short Street Gallery, Broome

2004
– “Big Country Show”, Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs
– “Women’s Figurative Show”, Short Street Gallery, Broome

2002
– All That Gija Country, Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide
– Women Of The East Kimberley, Tandanya, Adelaide
– Recent Works From The Warmun Community, Framed Gallery, Darwin
– Thornquest Gallery, Gold Coast
– Coolmalie Culture Centre, Darwin

2001
– Grand Opening Exhibition, Thornquest Gallery, Gold Coast
– Guildford Grammar School Art Exhibition, Perth
– Ochres, Short Street Gallery, Broome
– Guildford Grammar School Art Exhibition, Perth
– “New Paintings From Warmun Art Centre”, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane

2000
– Hogarth Galleries, Sydney

Collections
– Artbank
– Private and Corporate Collections within Australia and Internationally

There is an important Ngarrangkarni (Dreaming) story for Kangaroos in the Kitja culture.  There were two kangaroos – Jallangngenung, a kangaroo with short arms, and Jirrgan, a big kangaroo with long arms. They had collected Kirring (sugarbag, wild honey) from holes in the hills.  Jirrgan was greedy and using his long arms to dig out the Kirring, he ate it all up. This made Jallangngenung wild with anger. Both kangaroos grabbed their nulla nullas (fighting sticks) and had a big fight. Jirrgan, the greedy one, won the fight and Jallangngenung ran away. As he ran away he threw his nulla nulla behind him, which became his tail. Jirrgan did the same thing. Jallangngenung said to Jirrgan – “I’m going to live in the hills, surrounded by spinifex, where are you going to live?” Jirrgan, the greedy one, said “I’m going to live in the black soil country (in the plains)”. That is the difference between what type of kangaroo is found in any part of the country.  What I have painted in this work is actually a fossilised kangaroo paw print in the hills at Warmun Community.