Untitled, from the Jirrawun Suite

The Jirrawun Suite is a unique collection of 23 drawings and paintings by three prominent Gija artists - Hector Jandany, Paddy Bedford and Rusty Peters. The works were made in Melbourne in 1998 where the artists had access to a studio prior to an exhibition. These are seminal works on paper in gouache and pastel created by the Jirrawun artists in the early days of the establishment of the corporation by Freddie Timms. As such, they capture the energy of the period and are a strong affirmation of Gija culture and pride.

Hector Jandany, a Gija visual artist, is cultural and spiritual leader of the Gija people at Warmun community (Turkey Creek) in WA where he was born. Working for many years on neighbouring stations before moving back to Warmun, Jandany is committed to two-way education and was instrumental in helping establish the bi-cultural school at Warmun in the 1970s. He began painting in the 1980s along with artists such as Paddy Jaminji, Jack Britten and Rover Thomas. All were painting boards for the Gurrirr Gurrirr ceremony. A senior Gija law man Jandany has participated in a number of significant group exhibitions and recently had a solo exhibition in Perth. His work is held in many national, state and overseas collections. The three works by Jandany in this suite make a sharp contrast to the work of the other artists in their distinctive rendering of Gija regional iconography.

© Australian Art Department, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2002