Yoorloorloo is a dreaming place for “belly ache”. “I can fix that that, cut a little piece of hair, burn it, call out to that country and belly ache – he’s gone! People call out to me for that.” Mignonette is a traditional healer. This painting shows the site that gives her this power. Situated in a large cave is Yoorloorloo. Around the dreaming site are small hills and spinifex clumps. “If anyone burns the spinifex inside the cave they will get sick.”
Name: Mignonette Jamin
Language: Murrinh-Patha
Biography:
Mignonette was born at Muthanoongamaya - Majalindy Valley on Majalindy Creek a tributary of the Fitzmaurice River near Palumpa in the Northern Territory. She is a respected law woman amongst her community. As a child and young woman Mignonette walked all over the country from Bullo River to Kununurra. She lived at Legune Station and went to school at Port Keats. She came to Kununurra when she was about 10 years old. Mignonette paints her traditional country - the rivers and billabongs, coastal areas, the hills, rocky ridges, roads and other land marks as well as sites significant to women's business which belongs to her dreaming for country at Muthanoongamaya - Majalindy Valley and empowers her as a healer. She also paints country around Kununurra and Wyndham associated with her husband's country - the Carlton Hill Station area. Her paintings have attracted much attention with their powerfully balanced compositions, an expansive palette and an individually free expressiveness and vibrancy. Her canvases pulse with the energy of place. Intimate stories and memories of country link these images to her extensive knowledge of country . Sadly Mignonette Jamin passed on 19 December 2010. Her legacy is our memory of her commitment to culture and her joy in artmaking and her gift for joy. Her joyful presence is very much missed.
Wirrigirrig Wirrigirrig – the Victoria River flows from the lower left across to the centre right joined by Goongoolooloo – the Wickham River from the upper left. This is an area of the artist’s traditional Read more…
Kirrthang – Blanket Lizard Dreaming This is an area of the artist’s traditional country near Bullo River Station in the Northern Territory. Along the bottom of the painting runs the Victoria River. Flowing down the Read more…
