731-24 – Minyurrpa – GERALDINE NOWEE

Artist : GERALDINE NOWEE
Title : Minyurrpa
Size/Medium : 1829 x 1219mm: acrylic on linen Painting

Biography :

Geraldine was born at Derby Regional Hospital, the youngest of five daughters to Brandy Tjungurrayi, a respected senior lawman, and Nowee Nangala, now passed, from whom she inherited a rich tapestry of Tjukurrpa — the Dreamtime stories that shape and guide her culture.

Her journey as an artist began in 2002, inspired by the quiet, purposeful movements of her parents as they painted. Since then, Geraldine’s work has grown in depth and strength, her brush guided by tradition and spirit. Her canvases bloom with the colours of the land — bush seeds, wildflowers, and native foods — reflecting the ever-shifting rhythm of Country through the seasons.

A powerful voice among the new generation of artists, Geraldine continues a legacy now carried on by her daughter, Serena Nowee, a talented painter in her own right.

At the art centre, Geraldine is not only a creative force but also a vital presence. Alongside her partner, Jackie Williams, she helps keep the heart of the centre beating, ensuring that each day runs with care, connection, and purpose.

In this painting :

Geraldine paints the land of her mother, Minyurrpa, which lies between Jupiter Well and the Canning Stock Route. In this vast, timeless Country, the sweeping curves of the sand dunes are captured in the fluid lines of her brush, tracing the contours of the desert’s ever-changing form.

The dots scattered across the canvas speak of abundance — they represent the countless seeds that lie hidden in the earth, ready to sustain and nourish. In the centre of the work, the circles form a rhythmic pattern, symbolising the grinding stones, tools of tradition, used by her people to crush the seeds into flour for bush damper, the simple yet sacred bread of the land.

Through her brush, Geraldine brings her mother’s Country to life — a place of deep connection, where the land gives all it has to those who know how to listen, how to gather, and how to honour it.