Peters, Rusty

Abstract

Australian Aboriginal painter. Peters is a member of the Gija-speaking peoples from the East Kimberley region in North-western Australia. The Gija painting movement began around 1980 at Turkey Creek (now Warmun) and Peters worked closely with this first generation of ochre painters for 20 years as an educator in indigenous cultural programmes. His painting career began in 1997 when he joined Jirrawun Arts—an innovative Gija collective established by the painter Freddie Timms (b 1946) with Artistic Director Tony Oliver. Their aim was to promote interaction between Gija and gardiya (non-Aborigines), and economic independence by marketing East Kimberley art directly to contemporary art gallerie..