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Rammey Ramsay – Warlawoon – Jungurra (c. 1935)

Rammey Ramsay, a senior Gija man of Jungurra skin, was born on Old Greenvale Station, now part of Bow River Station. His own country and that of both his parents is a part of Gija country in an area to the west of Bedford Downs near Elgee Cliffs. His Gija name, Warlawoon, is the general name for the whole of that area of country.

Rammey lived in Warlawoon country walking in the bush with his family when very young then moved to Bedford Downs and worked there as a young man. He spent some time working at Landsdowne Station. He then moved to Bow River Station and has lived there ever since.

He began painting for Jirrawun Arts in 2000. In October 2000 his paintings were included in the exhibition Gaagembi - Poor Things along with paintings by Hector Jandany, Timmy Timms, and Paddy Bedford at William Mora Galleries in Melbourne. The title of this show is a word used as a term of endearment, sympathy and sorrow. It is the way lots of people feel about the country that is currently occupied, their predecessors who walked in it freely, and the way of life that is gone.

He was one of the painters featured in the 'Four Men Four Paintings' exhibition at Raft Galleries in Darwin in March 2001. This was followed by a sellout solo show at Raft during May 2001. Rammey has since had solo exhibitions at both Raft  (2003) and William Mora Galleries (2004).

Rammy was a key figure in the production of the Bedford Downs massacre Joonba that was staged at the 2000 Telstra Art Award in Darwin. He is an inspired dancer who helped train to train the young boys in dancing. He and Rusty Peters made the dance poles used in the Darwin Joonba. He was also an actor and dancer with the Neminuwarlin Performance Group in its production of Fire, Fire Burning Bright which premiered at the Perth International Festival of the Arts in February 2002 and opened the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts at the State Theatre of Victoria from 17 - 20 October 2002.

© Rammey Ramsey and Jirrawun Arts

Solo exhibitions

2004
Deeper Than Paint on Canvas - William Mora Galleries, Melbourne

2003
Rammy Ramsey - Raft Artspace Darwin

2001
Rammy Ramsey -  Raft Artspace Darwin

Group Exhibitions

2006           
Jirrawun Artists - Melbourne Art Fair 2006, William Mora Galleries in Association with Jirrawun Arts,

2005
Jirrawun in the House: A Contemporary Experience from the East Kimberley - Parliament House, Canberra
Beyond the Frontier - Sherman Galleries, Sydney

2003
Jirrawun Jazz, Raft Artspace - Darwin

2001
Four Men, Four Paintings - Raft Artspace, Darwin

2000
Gaagembi—Poor things -William Mora Galleries, Melbourne