JAN BILLYCAN (DJAN NANUNDIE), Kirriwirri, 2005

JAN BILLYCAN (DJAN NANUNDIE) Yulparitja language, 1930 - 2015 Kirriwirri, 2005 acrylic on canvas 166.5 x 110.5 cm bears inscription verso: #20049, acrylic on canvas, Jan Billycan, 168x112 cm, Short St Gallery Broome; Deutscher and Hackett cataloguing label adhered verso PROVENANCE Short St Gallery, Western Australia, Cat No. 20049 Private Collection, Victoria Deutscher and Hackett, Australian + International Fine Art and Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 30 November 2016, Lot 110 The Collection of Barbara Hansen, Victoria Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Short St Gallery and Deutscher and Hackett receipt Jan Billycan (also known as Djan Nanundie) was a senior Yulparija artist and respected Marpan (medicine woman) whose paintings reflect her deep connection to Country and its ancestral water sources. Following her relocation to Bidyadanga on the Kimberley coast, she became known for her expressive, gestural compositions and vibrant use of colour. In 2011, she received national recognition when she won the Western Australian Indigenous Art Award at the Art Gallery of Western Australia. This painting depicts Kirriwirri, the birthplace of Billycan and her family, an important site within Yulparija Country. The composition represents two jila (permanent waterholes), the surrounding tali (sand dunes) and the abundant kaja (water) that sustains life in this desert landscape. Through flowing lines and richly layered colour, Billycan evokes the physical features of her Country and the enduring cultural significance of its water sources. As the artist explained in the accompanying certificate: "This is where Jan bin born. two jila, women's country. This shows Kirriwirri which is the birth place of Jan's family. This shows tali (sand dunes) and along this line is Yulparija country for Mardu people. There is lots of kaja (water) here." Billycan's distinctive approach combines an intimate knowledge of Country with a powerful sense of movement and abstraction, translating the landscape and its ancestral significance into a deeply personal visual language. © JAN BILLYCAN / Copyright Agency, 2026

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