Amy Nugget

Artist Story
I was born in Karnanganyjawutu then went to Japingka to live with my grandfather and grandmother until I was older. Then we left for Wili which is the country for the Jukula mob. We picked up the rest of the mob and left to go to Puluwala, walking in the moonlight night because it was so hot. After leaving Puluwala we walked to Purrpun and camped with my grandfather Walkarr and grandmother Jawili. Then they sent Mawukura Jimmy Nerrimah to go ahead to Kurugnal. We followed later and made camp at Lumpu Lumpu whilst waiting for the rest of the people to arrive.

The workers from Cherrabun Station saw a bushfire at Yapulu and thought there must be bushmen there. The police tracked them there at Yapulu, chained them up and took them into Cherrabun Station. They workers were frightened of the police. We camped one night at Cherrabun and then went into town to the police station. Following this, we went back to Cherrabun Station to work.

My father passed away at Cherrabun Station and then my mother and I went on to Jubilee Station, across the Fitzroy river. From there I went to the Mission School in Fitzroy Crossing. I stayed there until one Christmas I didn’t want to go back. I went to Jubilee Station instead and learnt how to work, cleaning the manager’s house. We had Saturdays and Sundays off. One Monday my promised husband came from GoGo Station to pick me up and we went to live at GoGo and then Bayulu Community.
Subject & Themes
Karnanganyjawurtu jila (permanent waterhole)
Food and bush plants from the Great Sandy Desert
Fish from the river around Fitzroy Crossing
Pirtil Billabong Puluwala jumu (soak water)
Collections
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Holmes a’ Court Collection, WA
Perth Telstra Collection
Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
Fitzroy Crossing High School
Group Exhibitions
2012 Mangkaja Arts 21 Year Anniversary
Wirrinyiya ngaragngarag birra ngamoo ngamoo, Tandanya, Adelaide SA
2011 Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, DAAF, Darwin
2009 Mangkaja Artists 60×60, Randell Lane Fine Art WA
2009 Celebrating Country: Kinship and Culture, Seymour College, Glen Osmond SA
2009 Shalom Gamarada, Caspary Conference Centre, University of NSW
2009 Emerging and Re-emerging, Outstation, Darwin NT
2009 Senior Artists from Fitzroy Crossing, Suzanne O’Connell Gallery, Brisbane QLD
2008 Shalom Gamarada, Caspary Conference Centre, University of NSW
2008 Mangkaja Arts, A P Bond Art Dealer, Adelaide SA
2008 Bendi Lango,The Indigenous Scholarship Fund, Sydney and Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane
2007 Palya Art in Melbourne, The Barn, Melbourne VIC
2007 Bendi Lango, The Indigenous Scholarship Fund, Sydney and Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane
2006 Depth and Diversion, Cullity Gallery University of Western Australia
2005 Women’s Show, Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs NT
2005 Mangkaja Group Show, Raft Artspace, Darwin NT
2004 This is Still My Country:10 years on Perth International Arts Festival, Artplace WA
2004-2005 Colour Power: Aboriginal Art Post 1984, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
2003 Jila, Jumu, Jiwari & Wirrkuja, Cullity Gallery, University of Western Australia
2001 Mangkaja Arts Ten Year Anniversary, Tandanya, Adelaide SA
2001 Ngurrara Canvas, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
2000 17th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award National Tour
1999 Ngurrara, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA
1998 Group Show, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London UK
1996 Minyarti Wangki Ngajukura Ngurrarajangka – This is the word from my Country, Indigenart, Perth, WA
1996 Group Show, Fremantle Art Centre, WA
1996 Group Show, Hogarth Gallery, Sydney, NSW
1995 Kimberley Art, Melbourne, VIC
1995 Group Show, Australian Perspectives Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
1995 Mangkaja: Old Mangkaja, New Prints, Australian Print Workshop Gallery Melbourne, VIC
1994 Ngajakurra Ngurrara Minyarti – This Is My Country, Festival Of Perth Exhibition, Artplace, WA