Aboriginal Artists

D.O.B:   20/02/1972

Birth site / Region: Mosquito Bore, Utopia Region, Central Australia.

Language / Tribal Group: Eastern Anmatyerre

Family History: Abie Loy Kemarre is the eldest of five children, Abie was born at Mosquito Bore on Utopia station. She is the daughter of Margaret Loy and Ray Loy Pula. Her aunt is the celebrated artist, Gloria Petyarre.

Abie began painting at the age of 19. She was mentored by her grandmother Kathleen Petyarre, who taught her the methodology of using details and tiny shimmering dotting to create complex optical effects.

Over the years, Abie has further developed her skills as an artist to become an extraordinarily talented colourist. Abie now spends her time between Mosquito Bore with her family, Lake Nash (Alpurrurulam) and her grandmother’s home in Alice Springs.

Painting: 

Abie is a custodian of the Bush Hen Dreaming. Her Bush Hen Dreaming Paintings represent the bush hen travelling in search of bush seeds scattered across the country. Other themes in Abie’s paintings are the Bush Medicine Leaf Dreaming, Emu Dreaming, and Sandhills and Body Paint Designs including Awelye. Her works are held in major collections all over the world. Batik work exhibited in Bali, works on canvas exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally.

Exhibitions, Awards:

2006 Abie Loy Kemarre, Bush Leaf & Other Dreamings Gadfly Gallery Perth

2005 Abie Loy Kemarre, New Paintings Gadfly Gallery Perth

2005 Abie Loy Kemarre Alcaston Gallery Melbourne

2004 Abie Loy Kemarre Coo-ee Gallery Sydney

2003 Abie Loy Kemarre  Alcaston Gallery Melbourne

EXHIBITIONS-GROUP

2010 Australian Trilogy, Dennis Nons, Abie Loy Kemarre GW Bott Paris France

2009 Best of the Best 11 Framed Gallery Darwin

2009 Ochres to Dust Coo-ee Gallery Sydney

2008 Utopia Modern Women’s Collection 1999  2002 Coo-ee Gallery Sydney

2008 Light & Space The Chicho Museum Naoshima Japan

2008 Jewels of the Desert Framed Gallery Darwin

D.O.B: 1984

Birth site: Alice Springs, Central Australia.

Language / Tribal Group: Eastern Anmatyerre

Family History:  Freda was born in 1984 at Alice Springs and is the daughter of Anna Pitjara Price and Colin Price. She comes from a large language group of extremely talented and strong female artists. Freda has been taught to paint by her mother.

Painting: Freda has been painting for roughly ten years and has followed her mother in taking the utmost care and pride in her artworks. Her paintings capture the sensitivity and vibrancy of her culture on the canvas. 

In the 1970’s when Utopia was heavily involved in Batik projects Freda’s mother Anna was just a young child. Her grandmother was involved in these projects and Anna was surrounded by all the artists producing artworks using these new and interesting methods of depicting traditional Dreaming stories. Anna began painting independently in the 1980’s as an adolescent and started painting the Bush Yam with its seeds and root systems. These Dreaming’s are from her father and grandfathers country around Boundary Bore in the Utopia region. She has now passed these stories and designs onto her daughter’s in keeping with tradition. 

Freda’s stories or Tjukurpa/Dreaming center around the Bush Yam and her Mothers/Grandmothers Country. These artworks often use natural colours of the earth that are found in the Utopia region as well as bright primary colours of the wildflowers. The rich red sand, the clay, and ochres all moving together with the contours of the land.

D.O.B:   15/11/1973

Birth site / Region: Utopia Region, Central Australia.

Language / Tribal Group: Anmatyerre.

Family History: Janet Golder Kngwarreye was born on 15th November 1973 and is the daughter of Margaret Golder and Sammy Pitjara. Janet is an Anmatyerre woman from the Utopia region in Central Australia. She grew up at Mulga Bore in the Utopia region surrounded by her family and kin. Utopia is renowned for its development and nurturing of extremely talented Aboriginal artists including, Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Janet’s grandfather is Old Henry Pitjara and her grandmothers include Angelina Ngale and Polly Ngale, both of whom are notable artists. Her uncle is Greeny Purvis Petyarre (who sadly passed away in 2010), another well known, talented and collectable artist.

Janet began painting in 1997 and was taught the skills of art depiction by her family. She is married to fellow artist Ronnie Bird Jungala who is the grandson of famous Petyarre Sister, Ada Bird Petyarre (who sadly passed away in 2010). Together Janet and Ronnie have four children.

Janet is an established artist, she predominantly depicts vivid, expansive canvas’s titled ‘My Country’. She is also known for her depictions of Bush Medicine, in which she depicts the leaves of particular plants found in Central Australia which contain medicinal properties. Traditionally women would gather the leaves, boil them and add a resin and use this paste to treat a variety of ailments. Both men and women have important roles to play within the community as healers. Janet also has the appropriate cultural knowledge and permission to depict the Dreamtime stories of the Mountain Devil Lizard and Emu.

Her artworks are colourful and creative, adding her own personal touch to these Dreamtime stories which have become famous by Utopian artists since the 1980’s during the Utopian art movement. Through her work with several art galleries around Australia, Janet has participated in several overseas group exhibitions and some of her artwork is held in the Mbantua Gallery’s permanent collection.

Painting: 

Janet is an emerging artist who shows promising talent, she predominantly depicts “Awelye” or ceremonial body paint using fine dot work and linear patterns. She is known for her depictions of Bush Medicine, in her artworks she depicts the leaves of particular plants found in Central Australia which contain medicinal properties. Traditionally women would gather the leaves, boil them and add a resin and use this paste to treat a variety of ailments. Both men and women have important roles to play within the community as healers. Janet also has the appropriate cultural knowledge and permission to depict the Dreamtime stories of the Mountain Devil Lizard and Emu. Her artworks are colourful and creative, adding her own personal touch to these Dreamtime stories which have become famous by Utopian artists since the 1980’s during the Utopian art movement. Through her work with several art galleries around Australia, Janet has participated in several overseas group exhibitions and some of her artwork is held in the Mbantua Gallery’s permanent collection.

Exhibitions: 

2008, “A Women’s Exhibition”, Red Rock Gallery, Beijing, China. 

2008, “2nd Gallery Opening”, Red Rock Gallery, Beijing, China.

2004, Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions, Knoxville & Tennessee, USA.

2003, Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions, Knoxville, Nashville & Portland, USA.

2002, Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions, Knoxville, Nashville & Portland, USA.

D.O.B: 4/6/1986

Birthplace: Alice Springs NT

Language Group: Warlpirri, Pintupi, Luritja, English

Family History: Kellyanne was born in Alice Springs in 1986, she grew up with her family at the community of Nyrippi which lies 440km’s north west half way between Kintore and Yuendumu. It is a half way point between the homelands of two language groups, Pintupi to the west and Warlpirri speakers to the east. 

Kellyanne lost both her parents at an early age and she was grown up by her relatives from her mother’s side of the family which Gibson is the family name. Her elderly ‘grand parents’ Nancy Gibson Napanangka and Biddy Nangala are who Kellyanne credits for teaching her to paint. 

Dreamings: 

Kellyanne paints Water Dreaming’s associated with her ancestors traditional country north west of Nyrippi at Mina and Lappi Lappi. 

D.O.B: 7/04/1992

Birth site: Alice Springs, NT

Language Group:  Ngaatjatjarra / Pitjanjatjara / Yankunytjatjara / Pintupi / English

Family History:  Michelle is the daughter of Brenda Larry Nungurrayi and granddaughter to Carol Nampitjinpa and Tommy Lowry (Larry) Tjapaltjarri. She is not sure who her father is. Her other Grandfather is Dr. George Tjapaltjarri both were acclaimed artists who became part of the original group of painting men that formed around Geoffrey Bardon at Papunya in 1971. Tommy was also one of the original Papunya Tula shareholders when the company formed at the end of 1972. 

Michelle had a rough start to her childhood and she said she was abandoned by her mother as an infant. She was ‘grown up’ (adopted) by Michael Butler and Amy Yupangarri which is how she became part of the Butler family. Michelle has strong ‘family’ connections from the APY Lands having grown up in Mimili and Tjukurla. She also spent time in Patjar with Manupa Butler who she calls her Grandmother. Michelle is also closely related to the Ward family who include George Ward Tjungurrayi, Nangawarra and Gracie Ward and Janie Ward Napaltjarri. Michelle also spent time in Kintore and Kiwirrkurra further north in Pintupi country with her Aunty Lorna Ward and her family.

Dreamings: Michelle’s dreaming’s have been passed down to her from both her Grandfather and Grandmothers sides, she often paints Seven Sisters, Minyma Inmaku, (Women’s Ceremonies) bush tucker and water dreaming stories from her Grandmother’s country around Tjukurla, Mimili and Patjar in W.A. which is close to the South Australia border. 

D.O.B: Circa 1948

Birthplace: Utopia

Language Group: Anmatyerre 

Family History: Rosemary Petyarre was born in circa 1948 at Utopia, north east of Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Rosemary is the sister of famous Aboriginal artist Greenie Purvis Petyarre. Other famous Petyarre Artists include well known Gloria Petyarre, Jeannie Petyarre, Kathleen Petyarre, Ada Bird Petyarre, Violet Petyarre, Myrtle Petyarre and Nancy Petyarre.

Painting: Rosemary was one of a group of Anmatyerre women at the forefront of the art movement in the Utopia area, and was amongst a group of women from Utopia who travelled to Indonesia to learn different techniques for producing batik. Following the Holmes a Court Summer Project, sponsored by CAAMA in 1988-89, she spread her wings and commenced painting with acrylic on canvas.

In aboriginal culture, ceremonies are focal points in the life of the community. They are held for different purposes, however are integral to the happiness and wellbeing of the people. The people dance and celebrate to acknowledge the fertility of the land, the health of the people,  initiation of young men or to mourn the passing of a loved one. They would smear their bodies with animal fat and would then trace certain ceremonial designs on the top half of their body using a variety of powders, ground from charcoal and yellow and red ochre. 

They would gather together and sing and dance, led by the most senior women of the clan group. The women’s ceremony is kept separate to the men’s ceremony, though each one is equally as important. The main point is that the people are demonstrating their respect and love for the land. The body paint designs would vary from ceremony to ceremony and would depend on the subject and the time of year the ceremony is held. Different symbols are painted on the body and may vary from person to person depending on the seniority of each member.

Exhibitions:

2008 Black & White: Inspired by Landscapes, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney

1996, “The Meeting Place”, – touring exhibition, Australia

1996, “Nangara”, Stitching Sint-Jan, Brugge, The Netherlands

1998, Dacou Gallery, Australia

1989 Utopia Women’s Paintings :A Summer Project

1990 ‘A picture Story’, 88 silk works from the Holmes a’Court Collection, UK