Mulgra Jimmy Nerrima

Mawukura Jimmy Nerrimah was one of the great painters at Mangkaja Arts Center in the Kimberley. He grew up in the Great Sandy Desert at a time when traditional life was nomadic and days were spent hunting, socializing and undertaking important ceremonies to nurture the relationship with his land. He moved between the main Jilas (waterholes) in his country. The importance of these Jilas remained a dominant theme of his paintings.

Mawukura was a senior and traditional lawman who lived on his country until the 1960s, when he then went to work on Nerrimah Station hence his given 'surname'.

His works have the signature characteristics of the great desert artists located between West Kimberley and Alice Springs, with their fine optical lines and concentric circles. He paints with only two or three colours applied over a single background colour. With this somewhat singular palette however, he manages to produce almost electrifying paintings that are full of movement and echo the illusion of heat, drought and fires, centered by waterholes. Many of the circles also reflect ceremonial dancing and song lines.

Mawukura's works are held in the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Art Gallery of Western Australia. His works are held in the collections of Sir James and Lady Cruthers, Artbank, Wesfarmers Ltd., Ian & Sue Bernadt, Levy Kaplan Collection (Seattle) USA, Thomas Vroom Collection (Amsterdam), and private collections in Germany, UK and Australia