Rammey Ramsey, a senior Gija man of Jungurra skin, was born on Old Greenvale Station around 1935. His own country, and that of both his parents, is an area to the west of Bedford Downs near Elgee Cliffs. Ramsey’s Gija name, Warlawoon, is the general name for that country. As a boy Ramsey lived in Warlawoon with his family before moving to Bedford Downs where he worked as a young man. He later worked at Lansdowne and then Bow River Station, where he has lived ever since.
Ramsey began to paint with Jirrawun Arts in 2000 and in October of that year showed works alongside Timmy Timms, Hector Jandany and Paddy Bedford in the group exhibition Gaagembi—poor things at William Mora Galleries, Melbourne. He has since held a number of solo exhibitions including at Raft Artspace, Darwin, 2003 and 2009; Grantpirrie Gallery, Sydney, 2009; and Seva Frangos Art, Perth, 2011.
Ramsey was a key figure in the production of the Bedford Downs massacre joonba that was staged at the 2000 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in Darwin and was an actor and dancer in the Neminuwarlin Performance Group’s Fire, fire burning bright which premiered at the Perth International Festival of the Arts in 2002. He has since been instrumental in staging versions of this joonba at Bow River community.
Ramsey’s paintings are held in public and private collections in Australia and internationally, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. He began painting through the Warmun Art Centre in 2010.
- Writers:
- Sprague, Quentin
The Ian Potter Museum of Art, The University of Melbourne
- Date written:
- 2011
- Last updated:
- 2012
