Brett Nannup (b. 1975, Perth, Western Australia) is a Noongar artist living and working on Noongar Country. Drawing deeply on his cultural heritage, his practice is grounded in storytelling and the ongoing presence of culture. Taught printmaking by his mother, renowned Western Australian artist Laurel Nannup, Brett has continued to refine his skills through local mentorships and international collaborations. He has worked with master printmaker Michael Kempson at Cicada Press in Sydney and, more recently, with George Aitken at Write Light Neon in Perth, expanding his practice into neon.
Nannup’s work explores identity at the intersection of his Noongar heritage and the contemporary world. Working across printmaking and neon, he is recognised for his sophisticated use of line, shade, light and texture. His visual language draws from Noongar design traditions — including shield motifs, body-paint patterns and the contemporary use of the dot — while incorporating personal references such as his mother’s crochet work.
The recent integration of neon into his etched plates marks a significant development in his practice. This vibrant medium amplifies key design elements, transforming traditional motifs into contemporary expressions that resonate across cultural and temporal boundaries. Neon becomes both material and metaphor — a bridge between ancestral knowledge and present-day experience — infusing each work with renewed luminosity while honouring the cultural narratives embedded within it.
Nannup has exhibited extensively across Australia and internationally. He was selected for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) in 2024 and 2025, affirming his growing national profile. International exhibitions include the Mohawk Territory Cultural Centre in Canada and the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection in the United States. In March 2024, he was one of twelve First Nations artists and curators invited to participate in the Indigenous Printmaking Curatorial Workshop, supported by a major Getty Paper Project grant.
Recent exhibitions include Of This Place at Gallery Central (2025); N’yettin-ngal Wagur – Yeye Wongie at John Curtin Gallery (2024); and REPRESENT: Aboriginal Figurative Practice in Western Australia (Part 2) at FORM Gallery. Major commissions include a 2023 public artwork for QV1 and his first major public sculpture, Gumap and Gudbru, unveiled at Elizabeth Quay in 2025.
Recent accolades include the 2025 City of Armadale Minnawarra Aboriginal Art Award; the 2024 City of Bayswater Whadjuk Art Award; and the 2023 City of Melville Aboriginal Art Award. His work is held in significant public and private collections nationally and internationally.
Across his expanding national and international practice, Nannup continues to illuminate stories of culture, memory, and identity — creating powerful bridges between past and present.
Brett is Goolugatup’s 2026 Noongar Artist in Residence and our 2026 TILT artist.