Mabel Juli facts for kids
Mabel Juli is a famous artist from a place called the East Kimberley in Western Australia. She was born around 1931. She is known for her amazing paintings that tell stories from her culture.
Early Life
Mabel Juli was born around 1931 or 1932. This was near a place called Five Mile, close to Moola Boola Station. Her traditional name is Wiringoon. Her family's traditional land is called Barlinyin, also known as Springvale. This area is south of Warmun.
Art Career
Mabel Juli started painting in the 1980s. She watched other artists like Rover Thomas and Queenie McKenzie. They encouraged her to try painting too. She said she "started thinking about my country" and decided to give it a go.
She is most famous for her black and white paintings. These paintings often show Garnkiny doo Wardel, which means Moon and Star. Her art tells stories from the Ngarranggarni, also known as the Dreaming. These stories were passed down from her parents. They focus on how the Dreaming ancestors created the landscape of the East Kimberley.
Mabel Juli is also very creative. She uses traditional Gija colours in new ways. Sometimes she adds pink, purple, and green to her paintings. She still works at the Warmun Art Centre. Her art is shown in many important places. These include the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Her work is also in the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki in New Zealand.
Awards and Recognition
Mabel Juli has received many special awards for her art.
- In 2013, she won the Kate Challis RAKA Award for Visual Arts. She won for her painting called Under The Sun.
- In 2018, she was a finalist for the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Art Award. This is a very important art prize.
- In 2020, her artwork was shown on the famous sails of the Sydney Opera House.
- Also in 2020, Mabel Juli was one of six artists in an ABC TV series. The show was called This Place: Artist Series. It shared stories about artists, their work, and their communities.
- She was also part of the National Gallery of Australia's Know My Name project. This project celebrates the amazing work of Australian women artists.
- In 2024, she received the Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement. This award honours her long and important career in the arts.
