Born in Quairading (Balladong Country) in south-west Western Australia, Meeyakba Shane Pickett was one of the foremost Nyoongar artists of his generation.
Pickett was selected as a finalist in numerous major art prizes including the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, and in 2006 he was awarded first prizes at the Sunshine Coast Art Prize and Joondalup Invitation Art Award. In 2007, he was awarded first prize in the Inaugural Drawing Together Art Award. He exhibited in every state and territory in Australia, and his works are now held in major private and public collections across the country.
His art balanced innovation with tradition, as he developed a new visual language to represent Nyoongar culture in contemporary artforms.
Pickett died in 2010, at the age of 53, from complications related to the rheumatoid arthritis that afflicted him throughout his life. Remarkably, many of his best works were created in his last years, as the effect of his illness led him to paint with his hands directly on the canvas.
Date of birth1957Place of birth / nationalityQuairading, WADate of death2010Place activeBalgaLanguage group
