Norval Gallery

28/08/2026

A lot of people have been wondering how to view the Norval Gallery film made by Tim Mummery in 2014. It is quite an elusive process to find it online but with a bit of help from Tim himself, here it is.

From Burke's Backyard to the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Olympics, how the landscape and people of the West Kimberley determined the destiny of two young Perth art students. Direction/Camera/Edit: Tim Mummery Dur: 15min

15/08/2026

Sculptures on the Marsh at Dawn. If you are ever lucky enough to make it to Derby, you will probably want to visit these majestic 10 sculptures on the surreal marsh flats surrounding Derby. Most people see the sculptures during sunset. If you walk the trail and take photographs, it's a leisurely 1 to 1/2 hour experience. The trail is about 2km long and is a very easy, memorable and relaxing experience for everyone. To photograph at Dawn, as in these photographs, it is best to do it by car. The Marsh is usually deserted at 5.30am when you got there, so it is quite safe. I took these photos between 5.40 and 6.30am. Best months are June, July and August. The marsh can be treacherous through king tides and monsoonal rain during other months. Getting bogged on the marsh is another unforgettable Derby Experience!

13/08/2026

Wandjina Masterpieces

31/07/2026

Mabel King and Nancy Wungundin. Self taught masters of abstract wandjina art.

Mabel King and Nancy Wungundin are closely related Ngarinyin women who both lived at Mt House Station during the 1960s, 70s and 80s.. Mabel was about 30 years older than Nancy. I had the great honour of working alongside Mabel at Mowanjum Art Centre from 1997 until her untimely death in 2007, and working with Nancy Wungundin at Norval Gallery from 2011 to the present day.

Both of these artist are famous for their direct bold style and there complete abandonment of the technical formalities often associated with art instruction. In other words " they just do what they F #%=÷ well like!

When questioned about the validity of the stories behind her art, Mabel King once famously told an art critic" these are my stories for my art that the wandjina gave me! They are mine." Simarly Nancy Wungundin is very singular in her view. "The wandjina made us all different. I am a mermaid that lives in the Hann River. My daughter Samantha is the water goanna, Tanisha she is the freshwater crocodile. These are what the wandjina dreamt into us. We follow that path."

With such confidence in there cultural strength these two women inject power into there paintings with childlike freedom and the pure joy of mark making with colours of their own choice. Realism and precision are thrown out the window.

The National Gallery of Victoria has a large collection of Mabel Kings works and Nancy Wungundins masterpieces can be found at Norval Gallery and Mowanjum Arts in Derby.

28/07/2026

Petrina Bedford has been extremely motivated lately and has been creating some very powerful and vibrant images of her ancestral Wandjinas. Petrina says she is energised by her 2 year old daughter Dolly. " I want her to be proud of me and her Wandjina culture." Petrina recently told Mark and Mary Norval . Petrina is still celebrating her win in the mixed media section of the Kimberley Art Prize.

20/07/2026

Norval Cafe is back open today 8.30 am.

09/07/2026

Ingrid Oobagooma and Gerald Pryor have won the Boab Carving competition at the Kimberley Art Prize.

"I can't believe it. It's the first time I've ever won anything" said an elated Ingrid when she was told about her achievement. " My mum Mavis and my uncle Ashley taught me how to carve". I use to watch Yorna Donny Woolagoodja and Gordon Barunga painting when I was a young girl and that gave me ideas for carving.

My partner Gerald helps me carve a lot of boab nuts. He carves a boab tree on one side and I carve a wandjina on the other side.

07/07/2026

Congratulations to Petrina Bedford for winning the Mixed Media section of the Kimberley Art Prize for her depictions of 9 Ngarinyin Wandjinas.

Petrina used handmade paper and earthy coloured acrylic paints to beautifully capture the austerity and mysteriousness of the wandjina figures from her Imintji homelands.

Petrina's art style is a wonderful metamorphosis of her two famous ancestors. Grandfather Jack Dale on her mum Edna Dale's side. And Great Grandfather Paddy Bedford on her father Lance Bedford's side.

05/07/2026

Congratulations to Samantha Wungundin Allies for winning the overall first prize in the 2026 Kimberley Art Prize. Samantha has been painting at Norval Gallery and Mowanjum Art Centre since 2011. Her wandjina paintings beautifully mirror the atmospheric spirituality of the rock art sites in her Gibb River and Mt Barnett homelands. Through overlapping and layering techniques Samantha's paintings portray wandjina folklore and history. The passage of time is evident in all her works.

Well done to Petrina Bedford for winning the mixed media section of this year's Kimberley Art Prize. Petrina's piece featured nine seperate wandjinas each delicately painted onto a piece of handmade paper using her wonderful pallette of earthy colours.

The Boab Nut carving award was a combined effort from Ingrid Oobagooma and Gerald Prior. Their Boab Nut featured a carved wandjina by Ingrid on one side and a boab tree carved by Gerald on the other side. Ingrid and Gerald have been carving boab nuts for display at Norval for atleast 10 years.

Well done to all the artists who entered the Kimberley Art Prize this year and to all the other section winners.