EILEEN JOOMENA BRAY

LIVES & WORKS Warmun Community

LANGUAGE GROUP Gija

SKIN GROUP Nangari

This painting is about Joomena’s Ngaginyji Joomooloony, her boab tree. “The boab tree we are born under becomes our special tree for life; this one is Ngaginyji Joomooloony, which means ‘My Boabtree’.”

Eileen Bray Joomena was born on the side of a dusty highway along the road from Alice Downs Station. The family had ventured out on a fishing trip when Eileen’s mum went into labour and was “laid down, with her sisters in law”, under a big boab tree and gave birth. The women stayed there, under this boab for a week as is customary, until all were ready to go back to camp.

Ngaginyji Joomooloony, 2023 natural ochres on canvas

$1900

REV23-207

Ngaginyji Joomooloony, 2023 natural ochres on canvas

$1800

REV23-205

Ngaginyji Joomooloony, 2023 natural ochres on canvas

$1900

REV23-206