Philomena Yeatman is a Gunggandji woman, born in Cairns in 1960 and raised in Yarrabah Community. Philomena mother's side is Gunggandji and her father’s side is Kuku Yalanji.

Philomena began her career in the arts in 1991.

At first, Philomena experimented with print and jewelry making and shortly after embraced weaving, ceramics and painting.

Philomena is an renowned weaver.

Group Exhibitions
Jabu Birriny (land and sea) Touring Exhibition Mackay Artspace, Mackay QLD 2020, October
Jabu Birriny (land and sea) Touring Exhibition Bannana Shire Regional Art Gallery, Biloea QLD 2020, August
Jabu Birriny (land and sea) Touring Exhibition Tablelands Regional Gallery 2020, June
Jabu Birriny (land and sea) Touring Exhibiton Gab Titui Cultural Centre 2020, April
Jabu Birriny (land and sea) Touring Exhibition Grasslands Art Gallery, Tambo QLD 2020, February
Jabu Birriny (land and sea) Touring Exhibition Lapunyah Gallery, Chincilla QLD 2019, December
Jabu Birriny (land and sea) Touring Exhibition Arts Ablaze Conference, Kooralyn QLD 2019, October
Jabu Birriny (land and sea) Touring Exhibition Jan Eckford Centre, Julia Creek QLD 2019, August
Cairns Indigenous Art Fair 2019 Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal, Cairns QLD 2019, July
PSBA NAIDOC Art Exhibition 2018 Brisbane, QLD 2018, September
Cairns Indigenous Art Fair 2018 Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal, Cairns QLD 2018, July
Jabu Birriny (land and sea) State Library of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 2017, August
Cairns Indigenous Art Fair 2017 Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal, Cairns QLD 2017, July
Beyond the Surface: New Textiles and Ceramics Cairns Art Gallery, Cairns QLD 2016, August
Freshwater Saltwater: Moving Time UMI Arts, Cairns QLD 2016, July
Freshwater Saltwater: Celebrating UMI Arts’ 10th Anniversary UMI Arts, Cairns QLD 2015, July
Cairns Indigenous Art Fair 2015 Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal, Cairns QLD 2015, July
Yarrabah: Icons in Clay with Janet Fieldhouse KickArts, Cairns QLD 2015, July
Yarrabah Arts & Cultural Precinct - Philomena Yeatman Page 2 of 2
Cairns Indigenous Art Fair 2014 Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal, Cairns QLD 2014, July
UMI Arts ‘you and me’ Members Exhibition UMI Arts, Cairns QLD 2013, December
UMI Arts - Freshwater Saltwater UMI Arts, Cairns QLD 2013, August
Kinship - IACA Exhibition Tank 4, The Tanks Art Centre, Cairns QLD 2013, August
Telstra NATSIAA 2013 - Finalists Exhibition MAGNT, Darwin NT 2013, July
Yarrie You, Yarrie Me - an Exhibition by Yarrabah Community Art Centre Artists UMI Arts, Cairns QLD 2012
Story Place: Indigenous Art of Cape York and the Rainforest Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane QLD 2003

Learning traditional practices from her grandmother who taught her how to make baskets and mats using pandanus, cabbage palm and natural dyes found in country.

Philomena is passionate about maintaining traditional knowledge. Her vibrant weaving is inspired by traditional forms that were used to carry food collected from the sea and rainforests.

Themes
Hairymen
Sea and Land Animals
Traditional Weaving

Awards
2013 Silkcut Award for Linocut Prints, Glen Eira City Gallery, Melbourne VIC
2002 Indigenous Heritage Award - Yagal Mura Mura, Old Parliament House, Canberra ACT

Bibliography
2014 Yarrabah artists take it up a notch for CIAF by Isaac Egan, Kier Shorey and Fiona Sewell, ABC FNQ, 12 June, 2014
2014 Indigenous artists invite the wider Cairns community over the range for the Yarrabah Arts & Cultural Day on June 28 by Denise Carter, The Cairns Post June 26, 2014
2015 Yarrabah artists find their own way into the world - Article by Nicolas Rothwell The Australian Feb 26, 2015
2016 Yarrabah artist Michelle Yeatman shapes stories of her country.
2017 Jabu Birriny (land + sea): Contemporary stories by Yarrabah artists: Read the article here

Collections
Cairns Gallery Collection, Cairns QLD
Keeping Place, Sate Library of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD
The Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane QLD

Commissions
2016 Philomena Yeatman, Edna Anbrym and Valmai Pollard, Public Art Mosaic Installation. Shields Street Heart Redevelopment
2016 Philomena Yeatman, Edna Anbrym and Valmai Pollard, Public Art Mosaic Installation. Shields Street Heart Redevelopment