Roger Boona
Roger Boona
BORN
1988, WYNDHAM, WA
COUNTRY
WUNAMBAL
COMMUNITY
KALUMBURU, WA
LANGUAGE
WUNAMBAL, YINDJIBARNDI
About
As a child, Roger Boona learnt to paint by visiting his grandmother, Lily Karadada. She took him out on Country to collect bark, bush food and tools before returning home, where he’d watch and help her work. At only four years old, Lily’s sons taught him how to carve boab nuts, which led him to sell his very first piece of art. As a schoolkid, Boona drew inspiration from ancient history and comic books to inform his own drawings. He’d sketch dragons, warriors and ancient gods on paper, a practice that was fundamental to his development as an artist.
These days, Boona’s work still carries echoes of those early influences. While the dragons and ancient gods of his childhood have given way to animals and local stories, his art remains deeply rooted in the bush and those early artistic beginnings. Though his distinctive style continues to evolve, he remains deeply connected to family traditions and the skills passed down to him as a child.
WORK
Roger Boona captures a Purple Kimberley Wren perched gracefully in a palm tree by the river, where these small, vibrant birds are often found sitting near water. The wren, rendered in delicate detail with careful attention to its distinctive plumage and form, becomes the focal point of a striking geometric landscape that radiates outward in bold, rhythmic patterns.
Boona’s distinctive artistic style is on full display here, seamlessly weaving traditional Kalumburu rock design elements with contemporary illustration techniques. The bold ochre and terracotta tones, applied in layered geometric forms with precise white dotting, echo ancient rock art traditions while the illustrative rendering of the wren reveals his fascination with manga and comic art. Palm fronds frame the composition, grounding the piece in the riverside landscape of the Kimberley where Roger lives and works.
