Shirley Purdie / Diriyan (Rhattigan’s Yard) (N-0197-SP)

Artwork is accompanied by Narrangunny Art Certificate of Authenticity/Provenance

Shirley is undoubtedly one of the hardest working, most professional contemporary ochre artists and certainly one of the most talented. Born on Mabel Downs Station c. 1947, she grew up there whilst her mother, the late Senior Artist Madigan Thomas was working alongside the stockmen. Like her mother was, Shirley is a great organiser, strong lady and well-respected Law and Culture Woman amongst her Gija people. She resides at Norton Bore Community, of which she and her husband Gordon Barney (a senior painter in his own right and former stockman) are Chairpersons.

Shirley worked when old enough at Mabel Downs, Texas Downs and Alice Downs in the station homesteads. She then settled at Warmun and worked at the Post Office for many years. She has six children and many grandchildren – Shirley looks after not only her grandchildren but relatives’ little ones and is fastidious about the “proper” rearing of children and the teaching of youngsters both in traditional culture and modern schooling.

It is amazing that she could possibly find time to paint – but she certainly does. She has a style all of her own – her mix of ochre colours is excellent, particularly the pale blues she uses – and she doesn’t mind sharing her techniques with not only the younger artists but also established artists – she is a very generous lady. The stories of her paintings in the main derive from those Madigan has told her, and her uncle, the late Jack Britten.

Shirley has participated in many exhibitions since 1994 in every capital city in Australia, as well as in London and Germany. Her artworks are valued and included in high profile collections and Universities throughout the Country. In 2007, Shirley won the prestigious Blake Award for Religious Art with her stunning depiction of the Stations of the Cross.

Selected Collections
• Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, WA
• Artbank
• Australian War Memorial Collection, Canberra, ACT
• Commonwealth Institute Collection, London, UK
• Edith Cowan University Collection, Perth, WA
• Harvey Wagner Collection, USA
• Kerry Stokes Collection
• Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
• Northern Territory University Collection, Darwin, NT

Selected Awards
• 2020 Finalist – Darling Portrait Prize
• 2018 Finalist – Hedland Art Award
• 2017 Highly Commended for Kangaroo Rock Painting – Cossack Art Awards 2017
• 2016 Finalist – Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award
• 2008 Winner – Needham Religious Art Prize
• 2007 Winner – Blake Prize for Religious Art
• 2007 Finalist – Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award

Selected Solo Exhibitions
• 2021 What’s Happening Now? – Paul Johnstone Gallery, Darwin
• 2014 Gilban – Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
• 2012 Alcaston Gallery – Melbourne, VIC
• 2004 Boutwell Draper Gallery, Sydney, NSW

Selected Group Exhibitions
• 2022 Ngamu & Kilyingem: Old and New – Artworks from Gija Women – Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
• 2020 The Ochre Story – Japingka Aboriginal Art, Fremantle, WA
• 2020 Badem Mawoondool – Red ochre, White ochre – Aboriginal Contemporary, Sydney
• 2020 Matriarchs 2020 – Paul Johnstone Gallery, Darwin
• 2020 Darling Portrait Prize – National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
• 2020 Summer Salon – Artitja Fine Art Gallery, South Fremantle, WA
• 2019 Our Land Our Place” NAIDOC Week exhibition by Artitja Fine Art – Government House, Perth WA
• 2019 Desert River Sea, Art Gallery of Western
• 2018 Hedland Art Award – Courthouse Gallery, Port Hedland
• 2018 Art for Wellbeing – Boab Health Services, Kununurra WA
• 2018 So Fine! – National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
• 2018 Warmun At Twenty – exhibition celebrating 20 years of Warmun Art Centre, Nancy Sever Gallery, Canberra
• 2017 When The Sky Fell – Legacies of the 1967 Referendum – Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Perth
• 2017 For the Women – Tandanya, Adelaide
• 2016 Telling Tales: excursions in narrative form – Museum of Contemporary Art,
• 2015 LIVELY: New Prints from Warmun Arts – Nomad Arts, Darwin NT
• 2015 Garnkiny: Constellations of Meaning – Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
• 2014 Garnkiny: Constellations of Meaning – RMIT Gallery, Melbourne, Vic
• 2013 Jadagen Warnkan Barnden — Changing Climate in Gija Country – Goulburn Regional Gallery, NSW
• 2013 Gija Manambarram Jimerrawoon – Gija Senior People Forever – Australian Embassy, Paris, France
• 2013 Jadagen Warnkan Barnden — Changing Climate in Gija Country – The Cross Art Projects, Sydney, Australia
• 2010 Warmun – Our Earth Our Story – Art Images Gallery, Norwood, SA
• 2010 Kimberley Aboriginal Artists – Cross Cultural Art Exchange, Darwin, NT

Shirley unveils the rugged beauty of the hills to be found in the ‘top country’ adjacent to her homelands of Violet Valley.

When she was younger she remembers Rhattigan’s Yard, Diriyan, when it was used to pen up the scrub cattle during mustering, drawing water from the nearby permanent waterholes.

In another age, these were part of a traditional camping area, used for many generations of Shirley’s forebearers.