Details of Hector Jandany
About
Hector was born in Warmun (Turkey Creek). His father was a Mirriwoong man from Newry. Hector never knew his father because he died when Hector was a baby. Hector's mother was a Gija woman who was born at Warmun and who belonged to Ngarrgoorroon, country north of Purnululu (the Bungle Bungles). This is the country that Hector often paints.
Hector's mother remarried when Hector was still a little boy, to a man from Springvale Station, whom Hector respected as a father while growing up. Then when Hector was approximately 10 years old, he was taken by his relatives and shown his father's own country, which was Argyle, Newry, Mistake Creek, Texas Downs. Hector stayed with his relations for a long time, sometimes working as a stockman and sometimes wakling back to Warmun to visit family.
Hector worked for many years on Texas Downs Station, mustering cattle and working as a camp cook. During the long years travelling and working in and around Texas and places to the north, Hector learnt many details of the Ngarrangkarni (Dreamtime) and ceremonial life. He is a very good story teller.
When Jimmy Klein, the manager of Texas Downs Station, (Hector's brother in law) retired, a lot of people left and went to Wyndham or Warmun, setting up camp near the Gymkarna location. This was about the time when the equal wages for aboriginal people introduced by the Federal government. This was a difficult time for many aboriginal people. Hector was fortunate and found work in Wyndham as a cook.
When Warmun Community was established and the Bough shed School was built in 1979 with the help of the Catholic church, Hector returned to Warmun and became the chairman of the school. Hector and many others, including his best friend Left hand George and George Mung Mung, did a lot of paintings and drawings to be used in the teaching of the Ngarrangkarni (Dreaming) at school. They had a strong input into the school, ensuring that Gija language and Culture be part of the school curriculum. Hector remained Chairperson of the school for many, many years. His leadership, charisma and strength have been an inspiration to many.
Hector's work is known for its restrained use of colour and sombre tones. He paints the country of his mother, Ngarrgooroon - the traditional estate just north of Punululu.
Hector has exhibited consistently since 1990. While working at Warmun Art Centre he is an inspiration to many young and emerging artists.
Medium
Natural ochre on canvas
Themes
Hector's mothers' country- Ngarrgoorroon Country
Historical events, post white settlement
Ngarrangkarni stories from the Warmun region
Traditional Dreaming stories from Ngarrgoorroon Country
Station life on Texas
Interpretations of Warmun Country
Earlier works feature references to Catholic faith
Solo Exhibitions
2004 Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT
Group Exihibitions
2003 Seva Frangos Art and Span Gallery, 'Three old men from Warmun'', Melbourne, VIC
2003 Yiribana Gallery, Art Gallery of NSW, "True Stories- Art of the East Kimberley'',
Sydney NSW
2003 Raft Artspace in conjunction with Grantpirrie Gallery, "Waterhole", Sydney, NSW
2003 Framed Gallery, ''Recent works from Warmun, group show'', Darwin, NT
2002 University of NSW- College of Fine Art-,''O Soul, O Spirit o Fire- 50 years of the Blake
Prize for Religious Art'', Sydney, NSW
2002 Flinders University Art Museum, ''Garmerrun- All our country", Adelaide, SA
2002 Coomalie Culture Centre, Bachelor, NT
2002 Bett Gallery- Easter Show, Hobart, TAS
2002 Artplace Gallery, "Munumburra- Wise old men from Warmun'', Perth, WA
2001 Short Street Gallery- "Ochres", Broome, VIC
Short Street Gallery- "Ochres", Broome, WA
2001 Fireworks Gallery "New Paintings from Warmun Art Centre" - Group Show.
Brisbane., QLD
2001 Robert Lindsay Gallery ( Seva Frangos) with Billy Thomas and Queenie McKenzie,
Melbourne, VIC
2001 Bett Gallery- ''Collectors Show", Launceston and Hobart, TAS
2001 Michael Nagy Gallery, 'Whorled Art- an exhibition of tapas, kilims and paintings",
Sydney, NSW
2000 Bett Gallery, Hobart, TAS
1999 Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
1998 Span Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
1998 Martin Browne Fine Art, Sydney, NSW
1997 Contemporary Australia Aboriginal Paintings, Songlines Aboriginal Art Gallery,
Amsterdam, San Francisco
1997 Imaging the Land- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
1995 Salvode Gallery
1995 William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
1994 Tandanya, Adelaide, SA
1994 Kimberley Art, Melbourne, VIC
1994 Gallery Jila, Broome, WA
1994 Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
1994 Fremantle Arts, Perth, WA
1994 Australian Heritage Commission, ACT
1994 Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs, NT
1994 Power of the Land- Masterpieces of Aboriginal Art, National Gallery of Victoria,
Melbourne, VIC
1994 Australian Heritage Commission National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award,
Old Parliament House, Canberra
1994 Canberra Grammar School
1993 Indigenart, Perth, WA
1993 Images of Power, Aboriginal Art of the Kimberely, National Gallery of Victoria,
Melbourne,VIC
1992 Broome Fringe Festival< Broome, WA
1992 Chapman Gallery, Canberra, ACT
1992 Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
1992 The Ninth National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Darwin, NT
1991 Lindsay Street Gallery, Darwin, NT
1991 Gallery Sanyo, Tokyo, Japan
1991 VM Gallery, Miami, Florida, USA
1991 The Eighth National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Darwin, NT
1991 Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
1991 Aboriginal Art and Spirituality, High Court, Canberra, ACT
1990 Dreamtime Gallery, Perth, WA
Collections
Australian National Gallery, Canberra
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
University of Western Australia, Berndt Museum of Anthropology
Northern Territory University
Kerry Stokes Collection
Helen Read Collection
The Holmes a Court Collection, Perth
Coomalie Culture Centre Collection, Bachelor, NT
Broadmeadows Health Services Collection, Braodmeadows, VIC
Parliament House Collection, Melbourne, VIC
Wesfarmers Collection
Candy Bennett Collection, Adelaide, SA
Ron Whyte Collection, Sydney, NSW
Kaplan Collection, USA
FTB Group Collection, Sydney, NSW
Gavan Fox Collection, Adelaide, SA
