In this new body of work Shirley Purdie draws on traditional Gija stories and Ngarranggarni (Dreaming) passed down to her, as well as her environment surrounding Mabel Downs station in Western Australia.

Shirley Purdie uses natural earth pigments collected from her country in both her paintings and carvings in Jarlaloo wood, which imbues her work with a rich textural quality and vibrancy. Her paintings are powerful in their considered use of space, with large planes of colour accented by fine stippling as she maps out her landscape. Similarly, Shirley's unique sculptural work draws shape and inspiration from her natural surroundings.
Shirley Purdie's work has been featured in exhibitions throughout Australia and overseas, and has been acquired by many significant art collections including the Northern Territory University Collection, Darwin, Artbank Australia, La Trobe University, Victoria, Kerry Stokes Collection, Australia and the Commonwealth Institute Collection, London. In 2007, Shirley Purdie won the prestigious 56th Blake Prize and in 2013 Shirley was a delegate in the Warmun Symposium at the University of Melbourne, Victoria.

*image (left)
courtesy of the artist and Alcaston Gallery