Churchill Cann

Churchill (Yoonany) was born on Texas Downs Station in 1947, where his father was a stockman and his mother worked in the station homestead.  He speaks both Kitja and Mirriuwong.  He spent most of his working life on Texas and followed his father's footsteps as a valued stockman and horse-breaker.

He also worked on Alice Downs, Mabel Downs, Spring Creek and Lissadel Stations.  Along with Dougie McCale and Patrick Mung Mung, he eventually moved to Turkey Creek (Warmun Community).  There he began to paint with his close friend Rover Thomas and with Jack Britten, Hector Jandany, Henry Wambini and the other male artists.  He quickly became noticed for his individual style and went on to participate in many exhibitions, with his paintings now in galleries and collections worldwide.

Churchill is the Senior artist of a renowned family of ochre artists – his mother-in-law Betty Carrington and her husband Patrick Mung Mung, full sister Nancy Nodea, his former wife, International artist Sade Carrington and in particular their already famous daughter Charlene Carrington.

Churchill's painting, "Arizona - Texas" appeared on the cover of an important publication about Aboriginal Art in both English and German, making him very sort after by European collectors. The book was titled “The Unseen in Scene” by the noted  Elisabeth Bähr.

Churchill is a respected Elder, a healer, with amazing knowledge of his country and the Traditional Ngarrangkarni (Dreamtime) stories associated with his Culture.

Churchill Cann is one of Australia’s most famous Ochre Artists, with an instantly recognisable style and the ability to blend every colour imaginable from the basic ochres found in his Kimberley region.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

1994

• Australian Heritage Commission - National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Old Parliament House, Canberra

1998

• William Mora Gallery, Melbourne

1999

• Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne

• Hale School Annual Art Exhibition, Perth

• Hogarth Galleries, Sydney

• Japingka Gallery, Fremantle

• Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin

• Short Street Gallery, Broome

2000

• Ben Grady Gallery, Canberra

• Hogarth Galleries, Sydney

• Art of the Aborigines, Leverkusen, Germany (in co-operation with Aboriginal Art Gallery, Bahr, Speyer)

• State of My Country, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney

• The Collection, Aboriginal Fine Art & Weavings, Gallery Australis, Adelaide

• Dream Paths, Contemporary Painting - Australian Aborigines, Stadtische Gallery, Traunstein, Germany (in co-operation with Aboriginal Art Gallery Bahr, Speyer)

2001

• The Unseen in Scene, Staditische Gallery Wolfsburg, Germany (in co-operation with Aboriginal Art Gallery Bahr, Speyer)

• Ochre Show, Short Street Gallery, Broome

2002

• Recounting the Essence of Life. Art from Australia, Kunstforum HDZ, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany (in co-operation with Aboriginal Art Gallery Bahr, Speyer)

• "The Strength & The Light". Art from Australia. New Art Association Aschaffenburg, Germany (in co-operation with Aboriginal Art Gallery Bahr, Speyer)

• Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne

• "Images and Identity", Ev. Academy Iserlohn, Germany (in co-operation with Aboriginal Art Gallery Bahr,Speyer)

• Span Galleries, Melbourne

• Thornquest Gallery, Southport

• Garmerrun: All Our Country, Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide

2003

• Big Country. Works from the Flinders University Art Museum collection, Adelaide

• Ngarrgoorroon, Yiyili and Yarrunga - Four Artists from Warmun, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney

2004

• "The Essence of Things". City Gallery Bamberg Villa Dessauer, Bamberg, Germany (in co-operation with Aboriginal Art Gallery Baher, Speyer)

2006

• Gentlemen Of Warmun, featuring works by Churchill Cann, Patrick Mung Mung, Clancy Patrick, Beerbee Mungnari, Gordon Barney and Tommy Carroll, Seva Frangos Art, Perth

2007

• All Around Texas Downs, Churchill Cann, Charlene Carrington and Phyllis Thomas, Japingka Gallery, Perth

2009

• Bardungel: The youngest one, Chapman Gallery, Canberra

• Kimberley Aboriginal Art: Sharing Difference on Common Ground, Holmes a Court Gallery, Perth

2010

• Beerbee Mungnari and Churchill Cann, Seva Frangos Art, Perth

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

• Artbank, Sydney

• Kelton Foundation, Los Angeles

• Kerry Stokes Collection, Perth

• University of Wollongong

• Private and Corporate Collections Worldwide

Churchill’s memorable painting titled “Texas Downs Country” appeared on the front cover of the book “The Unseen in Scene” (published in both English and German) by the late Elisabeth Baehr. This book, published in 2000, accompanied the largest exhibition of aboriginal art in Germany since the museum exhibitions in the mid-90’s.