290-25 – Nynmi – Frances Nowee

Artist : Frances Nowee
Title : Nynmi
Size/Medium : 914 x 610mm: acrylic on canvas Painting

Biography :

Frances Ann was born at Tjalyuwang, a remote mission site that existed before the Catholic mission was established at Wirrimanu (Balgo). As the eldest of five daughters to the late Brandy Tjungurrayi, a respected senior lawman and renowned artist, Frances was raised in the shadow of her father’s teachings and artistry.

In her youth, Frances attended the local school at Balgo Hills and later continued her education in Broome. Her family’s journey took them between Balgo and Christmas Creek, before settling in Kiwirrkurra in 1996. However, in 2001, the community was flooded and evacuated, and Frances has since made Balgo her home, living with one of her two sons, Shannon Gibson, a rising star in the world of art.

Frances began painting in the mid-1990s, drawing from the deep well of stories passed down by her mother and father. Her works are a vivid testament to the Tjukurrpa (creation lore) and the vast, sacred Country that stretches along the middle sections of the Canning Stock Route.

About this painting :

In this particular piece, Frances Ann has painted her mother’s country, Nynmi, located on the Canning Stock Route within the Great Sandy Desert. At the heart of the work lies Minyilpa Warniri, a rockhole and vital source of life, symbolised by the central circle. This was a place where Ann’s mother would travel with her family, walking between these sacred spots, collecting seeds and hunting for bush tucker to sustain them on their journey.

Through this painting, Frances honours the ancient rhythms of life and the enduring connection her family has to the land — a lineage rooted in both tradition and the enduring spirit of Country.

Frances Ann, daughter of Brandy Tjungurrayi, carries the legacy of her ancestors forward with each brushstroke, weaving together past and present in a testament to the power of storytelling and art.