Maureen Thompson’s highly figurative gouche paintings illustrate the artist’s conception of Country and her interest in cool colours. After moving back to Ngukurr in the late 1980s, Thompson began painting by watching Senior Ngukurr artist Willie Gudabi and his wife Moima Willie paint. These works by Thompson showcase the plants and wildlife from Alawa Country and Mara Country, where her mother and father come from respectively. These are important early works from the beginning of the Thompson’s career, which capture the extraordinary vibrancy in her work and her singular way of painting.
Maureen Morrangulu Thompson
Marra c. 1936 – 2014
Untitled 1991
synthetic polymer paint on paper
37.7 x 54.1 cm (image and sheet)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1996
© Maureen Morrangulu Thompson, courtesy of Ngukurr Arts