Andrea Pindan

Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency

My name is Andrea Pindan. I was born on a station called Myroodah near Looma Community, about 190 km west of Fitzroy Crossing. I have four children and my husband�s name is Claude Carter.We live on a block that belongs to us – Bawoorrooga community, 100 km to the east of Fitzroy Crossing. My grandmother, Emily Pindan was a Martu woman. She came from the south, to the west of the Canning Stock Route, from a place called Wirnpa. It is in the warla [salt lake] country.

I ?rst enjoyed art in the year 2000 because my uncle Thursday Pindan used to paint Wirnpa. He is gone now but I always think of him because I used to help him ?nish his canvas paintings.

Today I do that painting of Wirnpa because it is my grandmother�s and my uncle�s country. Our family lived there for many generations. I also do another painting from the warla country. I paint the sweet bush tomato and the arma ?ower [bush medicine].

As a child, I lived with my grandmother growing up around Bayulu Community and Fitzroy Crossing. I also went back to La Grange to see my other family. I was always moving in a triangle between the three places.� In2009, I went to visit my ancestor�s country (Wirnpa) with my family. When we got there we had to break branches to meet the rainbow serpent. It was the ?rst time I felt this spirit. The ?rst time I have been touched by my ancestors. Everybody cried tears of joy. When I got there I was so happy, I walked around and collected sand frogs, witchety grubs and other bush foods.

It was mostly young people that went back to country because it is upto the young people to keep that knowledge.That�s why they tell us stories and we have to listen carefully.That story could be 40,000 years old. Once they give the stories to us, it is our role to hand these down to our children. Most of the old people are gone now and it is up to us to keep the knowledge of that place alive.

 

PAINTING THEMES:

Bushfoods and bush medicines

Living�Jila [permanent waterhole] at Wirnpa

2020 Jury Art Prize Courthouse Gallery, Port Hedland, WA
2012 Mangkaja Arts 21 Year Anniversary

Wirrinyiya ngaragngarag birra ngamoo ngamoo

Tandanya, Adelaide, SA
2011 Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Darwin
2009 Celebrating Country: Kinship and Culture Seymour College, Glen Osmond, SA
2009 Waterholes and Dreaming around the percival lakes of Wirnpa country Cool art, Coolum Beach, QLD
2009 Emerging and Re-emerging Outstation, Darwin, NT
2009 My Country � Paintings from Yiyili Bridget McDonnell Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

Mangkaja Arts, Fitzroy Crossing, WA

2008 Revealed Central TAFE, Perth, WA
2008 Waterholes and Bush Tucker Bridget McDonald Hampton Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2007 Jila, Jilji and Miyi Cool-Art Gallery, Coolum Beach, QLD Mangkaja Arts, Fitzroy Crossing, WA
2005 True Colours – Recent works from Fitzroy Crossing Queensland College of Art Gallery, Griffith University, QLD
2003 Parrangka and Yitilal [Dry and Wet] Cullity Gallery, University of Western Australia

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

PUBLICART:

2019: Kimberley Community Health � Uniform Design Commission, Broome WA.

2019: Royal Far West Fence Commission, Sydney NSW.

2012: Fitzroy Crossing Swimming Pool

2008:Fitzroy Valley Education Centre � perforated metal screen design

2008:Fitzroy Crossing Hospital – paintings on canvas