Goompi’s ancestors are originally from Gurreng Gurreng people near Maryborough, QLD. After settlement his great-great-grandmother was forced to move to the Ngnarangwal tribal area (Gold Coast)and Minjungbal tribal area (Tweed Heads), where Goompi and the last few generations of his family were born and bred.
Biren Bureibun (Saltwater Dream) was Goompi’s first solo exhibition in 2017 with Gallery One followed by Yarga ya Gwong (wind & rain) in 2018 and Goompi Dreaming in 2019. The stories of Goompi’s skin father are expressed in detailed intricate dot patterns and fluid line work combining neutral landscape tones with the vivid hues of the rainforest and coastal habitat. Goompi is inspired by the connection to Kombemerri country where Goompi was born and raised. Goompi is a proud tribal man, paying his respect to his mentors and teachers, he is dedicated to presenting his culture in various artistic forms such as dance, song, language and visual expression. Laying his culture out on canvas is as much a spiritual practice as it is a creative expression of storytelling. Each story is also recorded by Goompi in text on the back of the canvas creating a new dimension of perspective for the story-telling and image. Goompi has exhibited widely in South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales and internationally in France and Romania. Goompi’s art is held in public and private collections both in Australia and Overseas. Goompi’s art is found in the collections of The Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A ) in Langley,Virginia, U.S, HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark and notable local businesses including Zarraffa’s Coffee Headquarters, John Deere Australia and Iconic at Kirra.