Freddie Timms facts for kids

Freddy Timms (born in 1946 at Bedford Downs Station, died in 2017) was an important Aboriginal artist from the Kimberley region of Australia. His art often shared stories from his family and community.

Life and Art Journey

Freddy Timms started painting on canvas in the 1990s. He lived in a place called Turkey Creek, also known as Warmun, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Sharing Stories Through Art

Freddy Timms used his art to tell important stories from his family's past. These stories were often passed down through generations by talking, which is called "oral history."

In 2002, some people questioned these oral histories. Freddy Timms and other artists, like Paddy Bedford, felt it was very important to show these stories were real. They decided to create paintings that showed the events their families had remembered and shared for a long time. These paintings helped to document and preserve these important historical accounts.

Their powerful artworks were shown in an exhibition called Blood on the spinifex at the Ian Potter Museum of Art in 2003. This showed how art can be a strong way to share history and make sure important stories are not forgotten.

Helping Other Artists

Freddy Timms also worked with a person named Tony Oliver to create a company called Jirrawun Arts. This company was set up to help other Aboriginal artists from the Kimberley region. Jirrawun Arts supported artists in developing their skills and selling their artworks. By 2007, it had become a successful business owned and run by Aboriginal people, helping many artists share their talent with the world.