Nyuju Stumpy Brown Australia (Aboriginal), c1924-2011

Nyuju Stumpy Brown, also known as Kumanjayi Brown, was a prominent figure in the law and culture of Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia. Born on July 1, 1924 in Ngapawarlu, Western Australia on the Canning Stock Route, Brown grew up in the Great Sandy Desert. Her parents passed away when she was young, and she was raised by her uncle Jamali Wally Darlington, a drover. Brown's brother, Rover Thomas, was also an artist. In her early years, Brown worked as a domestic worker at Emmanuel Station in Fitzroy Crossing, where she received meat and tobacco in a barter arrangement instead of a wage. She later moved to the Catholic Mission in Balgo with Darlington, where she learned English before settling in Fitzroy Crossing. In an interview, Brown once mentioned that she had not seen a white person until she was 15 years old. Brown became a "law woman" and played a vital role in the law and culture of the Fitzroy Crossing community. She organized the corroboree (Nyanpi) ceremonies for the town's children and was in charge of Women's Law from Wangkatjungka to Balgo. Brown's paintings can be found in several collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Berndt Museum of Anthropology, Northern Territory University, and the Lepley Collection.

The total number of works by Nyuju Stumpy Brown offered for sale by auction since 2004 is 42, of which 21 (50%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $26,290 for Jumu 2004 sold by Mossgreen Auctions in April 2008. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2023. Works by Nyuju Stumpy Brown are held by the National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of Western Australia and National Gallery of Australia.