Jessica Veronica Brown

Jessica Veronica Brown's traditional homelands are close to the tri-state border region in the Western Desert at the intersection of WA, SA and NT. Family connections ties her to country around Blackstone (Papulankutja), Wingellina (Irrunytju) and Tjuntjuntjara. Although a Pitjantjatjara woman with familiar ties to the desert she was born in Kalgoorlie hospital in 1981 while her mother was living with relatives at the Kurrawang Mission, originally established as a ‘native reserve’ in 1952 by the Gospel Brethren (later known as Christian Brethren). In the 1980s, it was known locally as the Kurrawang Aboriginal Christian Centre and by 1984 was a self-managed Aboriginal community with a parent-directed school on the site.

Veronica and her mother later returned to their traditional homelands and settled in Irrunytju Community. Veronica's grandmother Anmanari Brown was one of a group of artists who established Irrunytju Arts in the early 2000's paving the way for the younger generations to develop artistic careers.

Like Anmanari, Veronica often paints country around Kuru Ala, an important womens site belonging to the Kungkarangkalpa (Seven Sisters) songline. In her work, traditional desert motifs are used to translate the Tjukurpa into visual works.

Veronica is one of the new group of painters working with the Spinifex Arts Project.