Artist Profile Shirley Purdie

Purdie’s full-bodied evocation of memory cherishes matrilineal strength and continuity.

Artist Statement

In Living Water, Shirley Purdie honours the enduring strength and resilience of Gija women, drawing from the memories and stories passed down by her mother, Madigan Thomas. The painting centres on a sacred water source; a circle near the top of a large hill known as living water, a spring that flows all year round, even in the dry season.

When Madigan was a child, she and the other children would sit and watch from the far side of the hills as their mothers and aunties undertook the long, hard journey on foot to fetch water. Shirley captures this memory through a trail of footprints, marking the path these women walked across steep hills and rough terrain to care for their families. These footprints are not just physical traces; they are marks of love, strength, and continuity.

The flat country between the hills is the site of the Norton Bore Road, which follows the same path taken by generations before. A new road is being built there, but when workers encountered large rocks obstructing the way, they were forced to reroute – leaving the living water untouched, protected.

Through this painting, Shirley not only preserves a powerful personal memory but also reaffirms the sacredness of water, land, and the women who have carried both across time.

Artist Biography

Birrmarriya Shirley Purdie is a Senior Gija Elder, master artist, and cultural powerhouse whose voice and vision have shaped contemporary Indigenous art and storytelling. Born on June 10, 1947, Shirley is a direct conduit to generations of Gija knowledge, language, and Law. Her art, teaching, and leadership ensure that the spirit and strength of her people remain unbroken.

Shirley began painting in the early 1990s, encouraged by her uncle Jack Britten and inspired by her late mother Madigan Thomas and Warmun masters Rover Thomas and Queenie McKenzie. Painting with ochres from her land, she brings Country to life; layering ancestral stories, sacred sites, and spiritual teachings into every brushstroke. Her acclaimed Stations of the Cross won the 2007 Blake Prize, marking her as a force in religious and cultural expression.

Her works speak of Baloowa, Jirragin, and Gilban; places alive with memory and meaning. As an author and bush medicine expert, her book Goowoolem Gijam records Gija ecological knowledge, preserving language, plants, and cultural teachings for future generations. Exhibited nationally and internationally, Shirley’s art bridges worlds. She is not only a storyteller but a fierce protector of culture, a mentor, and a guide ensuring Gija voices remain strong, proud, and heard across time.