Nyuju Stumpy Brown

Nyuju Stumpy Brown, a Wangkatjunka woman, was born on the Canning Stock Route at a place called Ngapawarlu. She was a prominent artist at Mangkaja Arts and also featured at Japingka Gallery. Her process of painting was spontaneous and relied heavily on gesture and the exuberance of colour. A recurring motif in Kumanjayi Brown’s work is the circle, which indicates places such as waterholes and bush foods.

Nyuju Stumpy Brown was the full sister of Rover Thomas. She lost her mother and father at an early age and was raised by her uncle, Jamali Wally Darlington, who drove bullocks on the Canning Stock Route. He took her to the Catholic Mission in Balgo, where she learned kartiya (white people) ways before moving to Fitzroy Crossing. She married Pukulu, a leader in the church at the old Fitzroy Mission, and together they had three daughters. She worked on Emmanuel Station around Fitzroy Crossing, doing domestic work.

Before she passed away, Kumanjayi (deceased person) Brown shared this story:

"My paintings are about my country, my mother’s country, and my father’s country. We lived in the desert country (the Great Sandy Desert). I paint the waterholes and bush tucker found at those waterholes. We were living on bush tucker in the desert, on bush tucker only. I paint about the time before we knew kartiya."

Kumanjayi Brown later married her second husband, Hitler Pampa, and lived in Mindi Rardi, Fitzroy Crossing, for the remainder of her life. She was an important woman in the community for Law and culture. At Nyanpi (corroboree) time, she ran the ceremonies for young children. She carried the Women's Law from Wangkatjunga side right through to the desert side at Balgo.

PAINTING THEMES:

• Marntilajarra
• Kurrkumalu
• Kuwiyalpa
• Larrikulu
• Ngutukurangu
• Nyirla
• Walpa
• Warawara

COLLECTIONS:

• National Gallery of Australia
• National Gallery of Victoria
• Berndt Museum of Anthropology, University of Western Australia
• Northern Territory University
• Lepley Collection

PUBLICATIONS:

• 2000: Ngurrara Entry & Oxford Companion to Aboriginal Art
• 1998: Jila Painted Waters of the Great Sandy Desert
• 1996: Yirra: Land Law and Language, Strong and Alive & Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre Publication
• 1994: Ngajakurra Ngurrara Minyarti, This Is My Country & Exhibition catalogue
• 1994: Video Documentary & SBS Television
• 1993: Mangkaja Women & Exhibition catalogue
• 1993: Images of Power: Aboriginal Art from the Kimberley & Exhibition Catalogue
• 1991: Karrayili: Ten years on & Exhibition Catalogue

Text and painting provenance: Mangkaja Arts