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Artists Please click on any of the artists listed to read more information about them.
Declan Apuatimi (1930-1985) Region: Bathhurst Island Language: Tiwi Declan Apuatimi was a highly respected Tiwi artists from Bathurst Island. He is renowned for his “Numwariyaka,” finely carved Pukamani Aboriginal ceremonial spears. These intricately carved ironwood spears decorated with natural earth pigments were created only by Tiwi male elders of high degree. In 1987 “Declan-A Tiwi Artist” retrospective exhibition toured major Australian cities. His works are held by numerous institutions including the National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Museum of Victoria, and The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, U.S.A. His innovative Tiwi style became known worldwide as his spears, bark paintings, and sculptures toured London, U.S.A., Canada, Germany, and Denmark. Back to top Malcolm Maloney Jagamarra Region: Willowra, Tanami Desert NT Language: Warlpiri Malcolm Jagamarra is a prominent Aboriginal artist who expresses his principle Dreaming stories with bold colour and a dynamic style. In 1985 his uncle Willie Reilly Japanangka introduced him to painting and his art naturally evolved from the ceremonial knowledge of his Lander River Warlpiri people. In 1992 he was appointed Artist-in Residence at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. His work is represented in numerous prestigious public and corporate collections including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Telecom Australia, The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, U.S.A. and the Australian Embassy, New York, U.S.A. Back to top Joy Kngwarreye Region: Utopia Language: Alyawarre Joy Kngwarreye’s decorative paintings often feature the native Ayippa grass. She has been creating inspirational works since the onset of the Utopia Aboriginal art movement when batik was first introduced to the women in 1977. Her batik work was selected for “Utopia- A Picture Story” an exhibition from the Holmes a Court Collection which toured extensively both in Australia and overseas. Her paintings were also featured in the significant exhibition “Utopia Women’s Paintings, the First Works on Canvas, A Summer Project” (1988-89). Joy Kngwarreye’s work is represented in the Queensland Art Gallery collection and the Aboriginal Art Museum, The Netherlands. Back to top Julie Napangardi Lechleitner Region: West and North West of Alice Springs Language: Anmatyerre/Aranda Julie Leichleitner also paints under the name of Julie Pengarte and Julie Panangka Julie's artistic ability derives from a rich family heritage of talented Aboriginal artists. Julie is the granddaughter of Walter and Gordula Ebatarinja, famous watercolourists in the Namatjira tradition. Julie’s father Dick Panangka Lechleitner was a contemporary Central Desert artist. His work is represented in the Holmes a Court Collection, Art Gallery of South Australia and the Flinders University Arts Museum. Julie has developed her own distinctive style to express her traditional designs which portray her significant Dreaming stories, including the Honey Ant ancestral travels and Women’s Dreaming stories related to bush tucker subjects, such as the Bush onion, Bush Tomato and Bush Fig. Back to top William McKenzie Region: Central Western Desert Language: Yankunytjatjara/Pitjantjara William McKenzie was born into the Yankuntjatjara and Pitjantjatjara nation in the Central Western Desert. He did not encounter Western Society until the age of 14 and he reflects that from the age of three his desert home was a training ground in biology, anatomy, chemistry, philosophy, psychology, astrology and astronomy. William McKenzie’s paintings achieve a unique perspective inspired by Aboriginal Pitjantjatjara stories of the eagle that flew over the land and could see all of creation from above. The circles and dots in his traditional paintings are derived from the serpent’s view from the underworld looking up at the universe. William explains that “To understand the meditation of my paintings is like trying to understand what comes before zero.” William McKenzie’s paintings are represented in private collections in Melbourne, Sydney, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Yokohoma, Japan. Back to top Queenie McKenzie Nakarra (c1930-1998) Region: East Kimberley Language: Gija Queenie McKenzie is one of Australia’s most outstanding and collectable Aboriginal contemporary artists. She commenced painting in the 1990s encouraged by her friend and renowned Kimberley artist, Rover Thomas. Her style is defined by her unique use of pink and purple ochres which she mined herself. Her strong attachment to her homeland in the East Kimberley region is reflected in the powerful and aesthetically beautiful images of the Limestone hills, place of her Gija people, east of Texas Station. The government of Western Australia formerly recognised her significant contribution to the arts and to the teaching of the Gija Language in 1998 by declaring her a State Living Treasure. Queenie McKenzie’s powerful contemporary images are represented in major collections in the U.S.A. and the Netherlands. Her work is represented at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra and many other state galleries in Australia. Back to top Barbara Reid Napangardi Region: Tjukurla - Gibson Desert Language: Ngaanyatjarra Barbara Reid Napangardi’s paintings explore the unique country of her homeland Tjukurla in the Gibson Desert, Western Australia. She has been painting since 1987 and she depicts three major themes in her work, Minyma (women’s sacred stories), Puli (rock formations) and Tali (sandhills). She often paints the pintalypa, a native bush-apple. Her paintings have been featured in group exhibitions including the 17th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Darwin (2000). Her work is represented in the collection at the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, Darwin. Back to top Denise Napangardi Region: Western Desert Language: Warlpiri Denise Napangardi is an emerging artist who paints lyrical representations of her traditional women’s stories from the Mt Liebig region in the Western Desert. She is the younger sister of the established artist Lilly Kelly Napangardi. Her works are a visual meditation on the natural patterns observed in her traditional land. Collectors are captivated by the rhythmic quality and quiet intensity of her works. Back to top Lily Kelly Napangardi Region: Western Desert Language: Warlpiri/Luritja Lilly Kelly Napangardi is an exceptional Aboriginal artist whose innovative work achieves a shimmering and vibrant sense of movement. Her significant dreaming is the Women Dreaming Story associated with Kunayarri (Mt Nicker).The subject of her paintings are the sand hills of her homeland near Mt Liebig. She is one of the senior law women in the Watiyawanu community. Lilly Kelly Napangardi’s works are very collectable and she is currently attracting the attention of both museums and leading private collectors. She has recently been selected as one of Australia’s 50 Most Collectable Artists for 2006. Two of her major works have been recently exhibited at the Yiribana Gallery at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The Queensland Art Gallery acquired and showcased her work in 2005 at the ‘New Acquistions: Indigenous Australian Art’ exhibition. Her work is also represented in the prestigious Kelton Foundationcollection, Santa Monica U.S.A. Back to top Topsy Peterson Napangardi Region: Western Desert Language: Luritja Topsy Peterson Napangardi is an emerging Aboriginal artist from Mt Leibig. Her linear style paintings vividly create an impression of intense movement. She skillfully depicts the natural beauty of the “tali” sandhills which are a feature of her traditional lands at Nyrripi. She is currently developing a strong following as collectors identify with the beautiful lyricism and exquisite palette of her works. She is the sister of Lilly Kelly Napangardi whose works are now in high demand. Back to top Mitjili Napurrula Region: Ikuntji - Haasts Bluff - NT Language: Pintupi Mitjili Napurrula is an established Aboriginal artist, well known for her “spear” paintings which originate from her father’s country Uwalki, near the Kintore Range. Mitjili Napurrula depicts the women’s side of the Tjukurrpa in the“Watiya Tjuta”paintings, illustrating the specific trees that provide wood for spears. Her brother, the renowned artist Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula was one of the founding members of the Papunya art movement. Mitjili Napurrula’s work is represented in major collections including; National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Aboriginal Art Museum, The Netherlands and the Baillieu Myer de Young Museum, San Francisco, U.S.A. Back to top Mary Dixon Nungurrayi Region: Western Desert Language: Warlpiri Mary Dixon Nungurrayi’s works are defined by their vibrancy and lyrical expression. She commenced painting for Papunya Tula Artists in the mid 1980s. Her work has been exhibited internationally at the Gauguin Museum, Tahiti (1987); Museum fur Volkerkunde, Basel, Switzerland (1992); National Museums of Modern Art, Kyoto and Tokyo (1992). Her paintings have been exhibited and collected by the Art Gallery of South Australia and the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth. She is also represented in the following major collections; Artbank, Sydney, Holmes a Court Collection and The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, U.S.A. Back to top Annie Petyarre Region: Utopia Language: Alwyawarre Annie Petyarre’s striking paintings are often a stylised form of traditional Petyarre clan women’s body paint designs. Her works have been collected since the onset of the Utopia art movement when batik was first introduced to the women in 1977. Her batik work was selected for “Utopia- A Picture Story,” an exhibition from the Holmes a Court Collection which toured extensively both in Australia and overseas. Her paintings were also featured in the significant exhibition “Utopia Women’s Paintings, the First Works on Canvas, A Summer Project” (1988-89). Annie Petyarre’s work is represented at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Back to top Minnie Pwerle (c.1910-2006) Region: Utopia Language: Anmatyerre Alyawarre Minnie Pwerle was a celebrated Utopia Aboriginal artist whose contemporary paintings have been eagerly collected since she began painting in1999. Her paintings are distinguished by their bold curvilinear design and vibrant palette. Her significant Aboriginal Dreaming subjects explored “Awelye Atnwengerrp” (Women’s Dreaming) inspired by traditional women’s body paint designs and the Bush melon and Bush melon seed. Minnie Pwerle was declared one of Australia’s 50 most collectable artists in 2004 and 2005. Her works are represented in major collections including the National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Queensland Art Gallery and the Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, U.S.A. Back to top Tjarmia Samuel Region: Kimberley Tjarmia Samuel is part of the Balgo Hills community in Kimberley, Western Australia. Back to top June Sultan Region: Central Desert June Sultan is an Aboriginal artist from the Tangentyere region in the Northern Territory. She has been painting for ten years and her works are inspired by both her mother and auntie’s paintings. Her paintings are a celebration of the ancient botanical knowledge and seasonal experience shared by Central Desert Aboriginal women as they collect a diverse range of bush foods. June Sultan’s paintings feature traditional staple bush foods including the honey ant, witchetty grub, berry, bush banana and goanna. Back to top Rover Thomas (c1926-1998) Region: East Kimberley Language: Kukatja, Wangkajunga Rover Thomas distinct style established him as a painter of International renown. His work was first embraced by an International audience when he represented Australia at the Venice Biennale in 1990. His striking natural ochre works capture the stark beauty of the vast expanses of the desert in the Kimberley region. He is highly respected for his artistic impact on Australian art history and for his ritual contributions to ceremonies at the Warmun community, Turkey Creek. The significant contribution he made to the development of Australian Aboriginal landscape painting was highlighted in 1994 in his retrospective exhibition “Roads Cross, The Paintings of Rover Thomas at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra . A touring exhibition in 2004/2005 “Rover Thomas – I want to paint at the Art Gallery of N.S.W. Sydney and the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Melbourne secured his position as one of Australia’s most collectable Aboriginal artists. Back to top Ronnie Tjampitjinpa Region: Western Desert Language: Pintupi Ronnie Tjampitjinpa is a traditional Aboriginal elder and a powerful Pintupi artist who commenced painting for Papunya Tula Artists at the onset of the art movement in the early 1970s. His bold and uncompromising paintings have established him as one of Australia’s foremost contemporary artists. Ronnie’s minimalist style paintings retain a purity reflecting ancient iconography associated with Pintupi ancestral stories. His work is represented in major collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Aboriginal Art Museum, The Netherlands and Musee des Arts Africans et Oceaniens, Paris. Back to top |
 
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