Denise Mung is the daughter of Beerbee Mungnari, a renowned Elder Ochre Artist who many years ago began painting with Rover Thomas, Jack Britten, Henry Wambini and Hector Jandany. She was born in 1961 at Wyndham in the East Kimberley and grew up at Frog Hollow Community (Wurrerangingy) via Turkey Creek (Warmun). Jack Britten was Chairperson of Frog Hollow, so from an early age Denise and her sisters Joanne and Marika (both artists) had the opportunity to observe and learn from Jack and the old men who joined him, including Beerbee who was one of Jack’s best friends. She favours the style of her father and presents strong works with an almost mirror image patterning to Beerbee’s. She crushes and blends the raw bush ochre in the Traditional way of her illustrious teachers.
Denise has four children, paints for her Art Centre at Warmun and as an independent artist. She now resides between Frog Hollow Community and the larger town of Kununurra to the north.
Selected Exhibitions
September 2006
Gadfly Gallery Perth “Betty Carrington and the Women from Texas Downs” featuring Nancy Nodea, Katie Cox, Lorraine Daylight, Charlene Carrington, Bessie Daylight, Denise Mung, Joanne Mung, Marika Mung and Marika Patrick
August 2007
Warmun Snapshot, Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT