Gnowangerup, Western Australia

Pauline Moran was born in 1959 at Gnowangerup in south-west Western Australia. Like many of her generation, as a child she was removed from her family and placed in Roelands Mission near Collie. Despite the unfortunate circumstances of her coming to be there, Pauline recalls her time at the Mission fondly. Her works reflect these memories, presenting a joyful re-envisioning of these times. According to Moran, “The Mission that I grew up in was a dairy farm and was surrounded by seven hills. In the wintertime, the hills were beautiful and green with wild flowers everywhere. In the summer it was so dry that the grass would turn a beautiful yellow.” Her paintings are joyful and lively vignettes, representing the bonds and shared experiences of the children who grew up together at Roelands. Moran’s paintings focus on the camaraderie shared amongst the children at the Mission, despite their challenging circumstances.

Pauline Moran began painting in the late 1990s, after graduating in fine arts at Charles Darwin University. After completing her studies, she moved to Alice Springs where she embarked on a body of works exploring the desert landscape. Although they retained their figurative style, Moran drew much inspiration from the artists of the Central Desert, particularly from the women at Jukurrpa Artists, where she worked. Since 1997, Moran has exhibited throughout Australia, as well as in Japan and the United States. She was a finalist in the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Togart Art Prize and the WA Indigenous Art Awards and her works are held in the WA Museum, Edith Cowan University and the Berndt Museum of Anthropology at the University of Western Australia collections.

Pauline Moran passed away in October, 2012.