AustLit logo

AustLit

Shirley Purdie Shirley Purdie i(A127860 works by) (birth name: Birrmarriya) (a.k.a. Nangari (Skin name))
Born: Established: 1948 Kimberley area, North Western Australia, Western Australia, ;
Gender: Female
Heritage: Aboriginal ; Aboriginal Kija
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

BiographyHistory

Shirley Purdie, daughter of Sandy Thomas and Thomas Madigan who were originally from Violet Valley, was born and grew up on Mabel Downs Station, Western Australia. She worked at Mabel Downs Station as a domestic and in 1967 moved to work at Texas Downs Station.

In 2007 Purdie was the winner of the Blake Prize for Religious Art and in 2008 she was named Aboriginal Person of the Year in the East Kimberley Aboriginal Achievement Awards. Purdie is a a senior artist at Warmun Community (Turkey Creek) in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Most Referenced Works

Awards for Works

y separately published work icon My Story, Ngaginybe Jarragbe Shirley Purdie : My Story, Ngaginybe Jarragbe Broome : Magabala Books , 2020 20423109 2020 single work picture book children's

'Told in English and Gija, this is the story of Shirley Purdie, famous Gija artist, as told through her paintings, as part of the Ngaalim-Ngalimboorro Ngagenybe exhibition created for the 2018 National Portrait Gallery exhibition So Fine: Contemporary women artists make Australian history. The exhibition will be rehung, in Gallery 1, to coincide with the launch of My Story, along with a series of cultural engagement activities based on My Story.

'This is the first book in the Kimberley Art Centre Series. The series focuses on developing the skills of Kimberley Aboriginal artists in children’s picture book storytelling and illustration.' (Publication summary)

2022 highly commended New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Books
2020 shortlisted Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Premier's Prize for Writing for Children
2021 shortlisted CBCA Book of the Year Awards CBCA Award for New Illustrator
2021 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Notable Book Eve Pownall Award
y separately published work icon My Story, Ngaginybe Jarragbe Shirley Purdie : My Story, Ngaginybe Jarragbe Broome : Magabala Books , 2020 20423109 2020 single work picture book children's

'Told in English and Gija, this is the story of Shirley Purdie, famous Gija artist, as told through her paintings, as part of the Ngaalim-Ngalimboorro Ngagenybe exhibition created for the 2018 National Portrait Gallery exhibition So Fine: Contemporary women artists make Australian history. The exhibition will be rehung, in Gallery 1, to coincide with the launch of My Story, along with a series of cultural engagement activities based on My Story.

'This is the first book in the Kimberley Art Centre Series. The series focuses on developing the skills of Kimberley Aboriginal artists in children’s picture book storytelling and illustration.' (Publication summary)

2022 highly commended New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Books
2020 shortlisted Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Premier's Prize for Writing for Children
2021 shortlisted CBCA Book of the Year Awards CBCA Award for New Illustrator
2021 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Notable Book Eve Pownall Award
Last amended 8 May 2018 16:19:57
Other mentions of "" in AustLit:
    X