We Have a New Aboriginal Art Blog - Join Us

We have moved our Aboriginal Art Centre Blog to our own website and your welcome to join us there.

Be sure to visit our Aboriginal Art Gallery and check out some amazing art by Australia's finest aboriginal artists.

Coming up: Emily Kame Kngwarreye and Minnie Pwerle show

This is our last weekend of our winter show and we will start the spring season with a fabulous exhibition of - for some- never seen before works by two female geniuses from Utopia: Emily Kame Kngwarreye and Minnie Pwerle.

Minnie Pwerle,Body Paint, acrylic on canvas, 89 x 15 cm - $18,000 [MPWX11835]

Our show Beauty and Power will open on thursday 2 September on 6pm so please join us for a bubbly, some nibbles and some powerful artworks.

Looking forward to seeing you,

Severine

Voted Best Aboriginal Gallery 2010!!

Thank you to everyone for electing us as the best Aboriginal Art Gallery in Sydney in 2010, we are stoked! 

We have been putting a lot of work in the last 3 years to show you the best in aboriginal art and make sure you have a fantastic experience when you come and visit us and it is very rewarding for us to get such feedback.

"A lazy meander is in order at Kate Owen. Housed over three floors containing hundreds of contemporary indigenous artworks, each canvas tells tales through dots and patterns, as well as more abstract tellings and a scattering of drawings by Owen, an artist herself. On the second level, a bar holds fibre-art sculptures, art books, and wine for the thirsty. In the airy, light-filled top level, snazzy leather seating, and a small table and chairs in a corner with paper and colouring pencils, invite art lovers of all ages to relax. The friendly staff will locate other works from its stores for specific needs. The prices are friendly too. A welcoming place for novice and experienced collectors alike. (Olga Azar)"

City News and City Hub - 19 August 2010.

 
Thank you again and see you soon.
 

News from the gallery

Kate and I went to Darwin for the Aborginal Art Fair and NATSIAA also known as the Telstra Award. We had an amazing time looking at some fantastic art presented by various community art centres at the fair and the prize.

We will soon be able to present you with some new gems and works by very talented up and coming artists and can't wait for the shipment to arrive from the Northern Territory. We'll make sure we post images as soon as they arrive!

We've also been very busy preparing for the Emily Kame Kngwarreye and Minnie Pwerle opening on 2 September and very much looking forward to presenting you with works that for some of them have never been shown before.

Severine

Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair

Kate and Severine travelled to Darwin to attend the fabulous Aboriginal Art Fair to source new art for the gallery to share with you.

We are hoping we will be able to discover some exciting new artists for the gallery.
Opening ceremony:

TODAY, 2 - 5pm!

The hot chocolate and the mulled wine are cooking, and it smells delicious!

Please come and join us for a wonderful afternoon of music, art, stories and warm drinks for a perfect winter afternoon.

Starts on 2pm. See our revious post for more details or contact us (02) 9555 5283

See you soon!

CHARLIE MCMAHON ‘LIVE PERFORMANCE’ - Saturday 7th August, 2 – 5pm

 Australia's finest didgeridoo player Charlie McMahon to perform @ Kate Owen Gallery with well known cellist Anatoli Torjinski, a member of triple ARIA Award winning group Monsieur Camembert.

Don’t miss this fabulous duo perform! Charlie will talk about his time living in the Central Desert and unravel a few of his untold stories and time spent with Willy Tjungurrayi.

Charlie encountered the Lost Tribe in 1984 and helped lead the last of the Pintupi 9 in from the desert after living a nomadic hunter & gatherer lifestyle.
Charlie has recorded and performed with leading musicians such as Midnight Oil, Keith Urban, Jane’s Addiction, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and many others.

New works will be on display by Willy Tjungurrayi and the Tjapaltjarri brothers from the Lost Tribe.

Kudditji Kngwarreye - Last Weekend

Our fantastic solo show of Kudditji Kngwarreye is closing on sunday. Long admirers of Kudditji and new fans alike have been very impressed by the works on display and theri warm colours.


If you haven't come to view the works yet, there are only two days left to see them hanging together in the top gallery.

Hoping to see you this weekend!

Don't Miss Out!

Ha, it's the beginning of a new financial year and you feel a bit short of money BUT still would so much like to buy a new piece of art!

Well, the good news is that we have a few works on special. We are refreshing our stock and would like to offer you the opportunity to put your hands on a painting at a discounted price.

Please visit our page 'Specials on Aboriginal Artworks' (left hand-side menu of our website) to find view images and prices or ask our friendly staff when visiting the gallery.

We have some Betty Mbitjana, a Linda Syddick Napaltjarri and even a couple of Kudditji Kngwarreye whose solo show is on at our gallery until sunday.

Linda Syddick Napaltjarri, acrylic on linen, 122 x 92 cm - $3,300 [LSY004]

THE COOPER REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS ON ART AND SUPERANNUATION WILL WREAK HAVOC ON THE ARTS INDUSTRY!

If you have, or are planning to have artworks as investments in your superannuation fund, or if you work in the arts in any capacity, please inform yourself about the recommendations in the Cooper Report as they affect the arts.  the effects, if this report is implemented will be highly detrimental to the industry, artists, and all associated parties including people who, in good faith, have invested in artworks to date.



To find out more, please read my email to the Prime Minister and/or visit savesuperart.org.au to make your comments.



Please make your opinions known.   The more voices, the more likely we are to make a difference,
thanks,
Kate Owen

KUDDITJI KNGWARREYE EXHIBITION until 1 August 2010

We are 4 days into our Kudditji Kngwarreye exhibition now and just letting you the REDS are HOT!

Here's an example of the rapidly dwindling stock of reds in the show. Kate says they are so amazing because Kudditji uses Series 7 cadmium red and orange which are the most intense (and expensive) pigments available. Try comparing these to other reds and you'll see what we mean. The paintings are like hot red deserts with mesas in the background. You don't need a log fire with one of these in your room.

Is there anybody out there? Let's hear what you think about this painting.

Kudditji Kngwarreye, 'My Country', acrylic on linen, 90 x 90 cm - $3,300 [KUD237]

Now showing: Kuddijti Kngwarreye, capturing the colours and light of Utopia

Kudditji Kngwarreye, My Country, acrylic on linen, 90 x 120 cm  - $4,400 [KUD265]

The Kudditji Kngwarreye show opened on Thursday night and received a lot of very positive feedback. The show is stunning and showcases some impressive pieces.

The show is on until the 1st of August but is selling fast so don’t miss out! We do have more Kudditjis in the store room so please, don’t hesitate to ask to see more.

While nothing can replace a physical visit to the gallery to experience the complexity and power of Kudditji’s paintings we also invite you to visit the ‘now showing’ page on our website to view images and details of the works.

Did you know? Kudditji Kngwarreye is often compared to the very talented late American artist Mark Rothko.

OPENING TONIGHT

Please join us tonight for the opening of Kudditji Kngwarreye's solo show.

Openings at the gallery are always a nice ocasion for a social time. Walk around with a glass of wine in hand, discuss the gorgeous paintings with your friends. What better way to spend a  Thursday night?

I hope you will be blown away by the Kudditji's latest works.

Kate is back from her trip and would be very happy to see you all at the opening.

Hope to see many of you tonight!

Contemporary Aboriginal Art 40 - Women's Dreaming by Walangkura Napanangka

Women's Dreaming

Walangkura Napanangka

Walangkura Napanangka, Women's Ceremony, acrylic on linen, 120 x 180 cm - $31,000 [WNAS001]

Did you know? In January 2007, Walangkura Napanangka was included in the Australian Art Collector's list of the 50 most collectable artists for the first time.

For the diary

30 June is the end of the financial year sale so don't miss out, only a few days to go!

1 July - solo exhibition of Kudditji Kngwarreye. We do have a slight addiction to this talented elder from Utopia. If you are not familiar with his works yet, please come and join us for the opening or visit us in July, you won't be disappointed. Kudditji captures the light and colours of his country like no one else.

More info to come in the next few days, stay tuned!

Contemporary Aborginal Art 38 - "Tali" Sandhills by Eunice Jack Napanangka

"Tali" Sandhills

Eunice Jack Napanangka

Eunice Jack Napanangka, "Tali" Sandhills, acrylic on linen, 120 x 180 cm - $12,500

Please visit our website or the gallery to view all works by Eunice Jack Napangka.

Contemporary Aborginal Art - JMP6139 - Anaty Bush Yam by Jeannie Mills Pwerle

Anaty Wild Yam

Jeannie Mills Pwerle

Jeannie Mills Pwerle, Wild Yam, acrylic on linen, 60 x 75 cm - $1,500

You have probably seen some of the Jeannie Mills Pwerle Yam paintings in the green and purple tones. We just got some Wild Yam paintings in the orange, pink and green colours and they look fabulous. The brush strokes depicting the yams with a mix of colours and the fine dotting in between are gorgeous. A must-see!

End of Financial Year Sale

Dear Art Lovers,


For a limited time only we are offering a 10-20% discount on all our works (conditions apply).


Come and celebrate the end of the financial year by brightening up your home or corporate interior with a new contemporary aboriginal artwork.


Choose from over 900 paintings, spread across 3 levels we have one of the best selections in Sydney. In the gallery you can view fabulous aboriginal artwork in relaxed surroundings. Feel the incredible energy in light and bright surroundings and enjoy a glass of wine as you view these outstanding works.

Contemporary Aboriginal Art 39 - BIDJA2293 - Pyurr by Biddee Baadjo

Pyurr

Biddee Baadjo

 Biddee Baadjo, Pyurr, 2009 acrylic on canvas, 85 x 125 cm - $4,850

 
 

If you've missed our gorgeous exhibition of Wankatjungka artists Biddee Baadjo and Nada Rawlins, we still have a few of their works at the gallery, so hurry and don't miss out!

You can never go wrong with black

At Kate Owen we are always on the move whether it is sourcing new artists and paintings, expanding the gallery, making new friends or making the gallery look fabulous.

 We have just painted the walls of one of our rooms...charcoal. Unusual you will say but the result is absolutely stunning. The works hanging on the walls are revealed on the dark background and look even greater. This room is now our favourite! Come and see for yourself and get inspired. Who knows, you might go home with a new artwork and a pot of paint to get the same effect in your house!

Contemporary Aboriginal Art 37 - BMUV22140 - (Untitled) by Betty Kutungu Munti

(Untitled)

Betty Munti

Betty Kutungu Munti, Untitled, acrylic on linen, 92 x 92 cm - $2,200

ARTIST: BETTY KUTUNGU MUNTI
DOB: 1942
REGION: ANANGU PITJANTJATJARA LANDS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
LANGUAGE: PITJANTJATJARA
COMMUNITY: AMATA
REGION: ANANGU PITJANTJATJARA LANDS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
MOTHER'S COUNTRY: PAPULANKUTJA
FATHER'S COUNTRY: MALARA (NEAR PIPALYATJARA)
DREAMINGS: TINKA - GOANNA, SAND MONITOR

Betty is from Tjurma Homelands and paints with Tjurma Arts and Crafts centre as well as the women at Tjala Arts (formerly Minymaku Arts). She has been a practicing artist for many years and is always experimenting with ideas and traditional stories from her dreamtime. Not only is Betty a skilled painter, but also adept in Batik fabric production which she first practiced at Ernabella Arts at Pukatja (Ernabella) Community.




Collections:
Museum of Victoria 1995
Art Gallery of South Australia
Hilliard Collection, National Museum of Australia
Powerhouse Museum Sydney




Group Exhibitions:


• Beyond Batik , A joint exhibition by members of the ACT Batik Association and artists from the Tjurma Homelands, Canberra 1991
• WOMAD , Singapore 2001
• Desert Visions – Works of Minymaku Arts , Adelaide Fringe, Synagogue Place, Adelaide 2002
• Nganampa tjukurpa – Our stories , Port Melbourne Uniting Church, Melbourne 2003
• Minymaku Arts – Exhibition of Fabrics , Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia, USA 2003
• Divas of the Desert , Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs 2004
• Minyma Tjutaku painting Amatala Nguru - Many paintings from the women of Amata, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne 2004
• Desert Mob , Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs 2004
• Nganana worka wiru palyalpai - Our best work , Australian Print Workshop, Melbourne 2004
• Bush Christmas , Australia's Outback Gallery, Sydney 2004
• Minymaku Arts: emerging artists from Amata, South Australia , Indigenart, Fremantle 2005
• Minymaku Arts: SALA Festival , Art Images, Adelaide 2005
• Waku Kunpu: Strong Work , Bandigan Art, Sydney 2005
• Iritja munu kuwaitja tjukurpa; Stories from past and present , Tandanya, Adelaide 2000
• Tjala Arts , Kluge-Ruhe, University of Virginia, USA 2006
• Warka Nganampa Munuru: Our work is many and varied , Stephanie Burns Fine Art, Canberra 2006
• Tjala Arts: SALA Festival , Art Images, Adelaide 2006
• Waa Yungkunytja , Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne 2006

Makinti Napanangka shortlisted for the WA Indigenous Art Award

Makinti Napangka, Lupulnga, acrylic on linen, 119 x 180 cm - $25,000

Did you know?

WA Indigenous Art Awards unveils shortlisted artists :

The 16 finalists of the Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards were announced in Perth on Friday. This year sees established artists including Makinti Napanangka, Harry Tjutjuna, Gulumbu Yunupingu and Wakartu Cory Surprise joined by younger talent such as Melbourne's Yhonnie Scarce, who works with glass, and South Australian photographer Christian Bumbarra Thompson.

The finalists were nominated by arts organisations across the country and vetted by an all-Indigenous selection panel including Brenda L Croft from the University of South Australia, Stephen Gilchrist of the National Gallery of Victoria and Glenn Pilkington from the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

They are in the running for a share of a prize purse totalling $65,000. The main prize and West Australian artists prize will be announced on 30 July prior to the opening of the award exhibition at the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

We have a few works by Makinti Napanangka, you can view them on her page on our website and also visit us at the gallery.

Contemporary Aboriginal Art 36 - FNPM15362 - (Untitled) by Fabrianne Nampitjinpa Peterson

 Untitled

Fabrianne Nampitjinpa Peterson

Fabrianne Nampitjinpa Peterson, Untitled, acrylic on linen, 90 x 120 cm - $10,050

 Fabrianne was born at Papunya community, west of Alice Springs in 1965. She attended and lived at Yirara College for four years, where she completed Year 10. The acquiring of a good education was very important to Fabrianne, and in 1982 she worked at the local school as a teacher's aide, as her English was very good. After leaving Yirara she started painting at Mount Leibig which is further west of Papunya, towards Kintore.



Later she moved to Kintore with her husband who was the son of famous early Papunya Tula painter, Johnnie Scobie . His wife was artist Narbula Scobie, who was one of the first women painters.
She lived with her mother Maudie Petersen Nungarayi (now deceased), an artist in her own right, and her work is said to be very reminiscent of her mother's. Fabrianne also learned the skills of painting and the dreaming stories from her sister Sandra. Her stories are of the Willy Wagtail from the Mount Liebig area, (Watiyawanu), and her intricate work incorporate the Bush Potatoes, Witchetty Grub, Bush Banana, the Honey Ant and stories connected to Kunatjarrayi (Mount Nicker). Fabrianne can also work in many other mediums supporting the art centre with baskets and Ininti beads.


She is a member of Watiyawanu Artists of Amunturrungu Corporation, and she plays a major role in the organizing and structure of the community art company, supporting the coordinator. Fabrianne is also a dedicated mother and wife and enjoys her culture, the country and is an active ceremonial participator.


Her paintings are held in major collections world-wide and have been exhibited quite extensively.



COLLECTIONS :
Gold Coast City Art Gallery
Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth
Museum & Art Gallery, Northern Territory
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
Art Bank Sydney
Holmes a Court Collection. Perth, Western Australia


EXHIBITIONS :
2006 Copenhagen Denmark
2006 Tony Bond Adelaide, Australia
2005 Japingka Art


Fabrianne has exhibited in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as many other smaller exhibitions

 

Gems of the Desert - Aboriginal Art exhibition at Chifley Square, Invite to opening night (Wednesday 9 June)

We would like to invite you to the opening night of our latest indigenous art exhibition at the Chifley Square on Wednesday the 9th June from 5 - 7 pm.

Come and join us for a drink and see how contemporary aborginal art can enhance the corporate work environment, or brighten up your home interior.

This is a great chance to see some stunning new works on display from Kate's recent trip to the Red Centre.

The exhibition runs from June 7 - 27 in the front lobby at Chifley Tower, 2 Chifley Square, Sydney.

Gallery selection of new and exciting new works, 3 - 27 June 2010

Kate Owen has recently returned from a trip to the Outback. As usual she was on the hunt for exciting new works from emerging and established artists alike.

We've got some true gems from affordable to collectable. You can view a selection of our new acquisitions on our 'New Aboriginal Artworks' page.

You will find some exquisite Angelina Ngale and very refined Margaret Loy Purla amongst many more.

Don't forget that quite a number of our works are also available in different colours and sizes.

Looking forward to your visit!

"Johnny Warangkula Tjupurulla" 1925-2001

"Johnny Warangkula Tjupurulla" short biography

DOB: C.1925 .... DECEASED 2001 SKIN NAME: LURITJA/PINTUPI ... REGION: PAPUNYA Johnny Warangkula was born in 1925 at Minjilpirri, an area north west of Illipili and south of Lake Mackay. Close by is his major dreaming site Tjilkari. The son of mixed parents, his mother was of Luritja/ Warlpiri/Pintupi descent and his father Luritja/Warlpiri. Johnny was raised in a traditional manner, living an orthodox life style in the desert and never attending European schools. He is of the Luritja language group and was initiated into manhood and during which process, he learned his dreamings. Johnny can recollect his first contact with Europeans, remembering his fearful response when witnessing an aircraft fly over his land as a young boy. His people believed the airplane to be a 'marnu' or devil. At a later date, his people came into contact with camels for the first time and again hid in fright as they recognised the beasts as being evil. All of that is a far cry from the sophisticated auction rooms of Sotheby's in Melbourne where, in July 1997, his painting 'Water Dreaming at Kalipinypa' changed hands for a record $206,000. When he sold the painting at Papunya 25 years previously he received just $150 and remembers this only in terms of the food which it bought at the time. Interviewed in 1997 Johnny claimed, 'I come from the bush. We don't know money'. From partial obscurity, 'Johnny W', as he is affectionately known, became a figure to be reckoned with in the history of Australian art. Well before that time, however, the National Gallery of Australia had recognised his position in the history of Aboriginal art. In 1984, James Mollison, Director of the gallery claimed that their painting by Johnny W (the gallery's first purchase of a western desert painting) was 'the finest abstract art ever produced in this country'. . Johnny Warrungula Tjuppurulla's painting career began after a long turn at labouring, his efforts contributing to the development of roads, airstrips and settlements in areas such as Haasts Bluff, Mt Leibig, Yuendumu and Mt Wedge. In return for his work building roads, shoveling dirt and felling trees he was remunerated in the form of consumable goods, 'tucker' (as he calls it) - flour, tea, sugar, fresh vegetables and tobacco. Before the bulk of the Haasts Bluff population was moved to Papunya in 1960, Johnny was selected along with Nosepeg Tjupurullaas Aboriginal representative to meet the Queen. After settling in Papunya Johnny served on the Papunya Council with Mick Namarari (qv), Limpi Tjapangati and Kingsley Tjungarrayi. Geoffrey Bardon's arrival at Papunya inspired the community to begin using western art materials. Johnny rapidly developed a distinctive style of his own which came to be known as 'overdotting'. He uses several layers of dots to depict his dreamings, which consist of Water, Fire, Yam and Egret stories. There are also stories from Nyilppi and Nyalpilala which are his father's Dreamings. Geoffrey Bardon labelled this stylistic layering effect as 'tremulous illusion' and in his book, Papunya Tula Art of the Western Desert, Bardon fondly recollects images of Johnny painting with an "intense level of intuitive concentration". From the very beginning at Papunya, Johnny has always adhered to the idea that his paintings are stories - Aboriginal stories. He has never allowed any infiltration of European influence and rarely uses literal depictions of objects. Geoff Bardon advised the 'painting mob', of which Johnny was an important member, to paint in an Aboriginal way using Aboriginal signs and symbols that one might have found in body paint, tjuringa or sand paintings. Because of this 'purity' his works retain an integrity which places them amongst the most significant productions from the seminal art site that was Papunya. Bardon pointed out that Johnny's paintings, 'can be measured on a scale of modern aesthetic'. And as if to qualify that remark, Bardon further offered the idea that the artist used, 'calligraphic line with almost Baroque excitement'. A very insightful observation which holds true in 1999, particularly in regards to the very 'late' and hugely energetic works of this period. One of the great characteristics of the Baroque style, dominant in the seventeenth century, was the energy, rhythm and theatricality with which stories (usually Christian stories) were told. Johnny's style was described this way: Tight organization of bands and lines, hatching and dot embellishment give his work a powerful, energetic visual strength. He uses convoluted spiral symbols for people, and animal tracks and distorted figures as illustrations of ceremony not in a formal way but intuitively. In early 1997, Michael Hollow commissioned Johnny to do a series of small works. From this series Johnny began a new phase in his distinguished painting career and developed this new direction with other galleries and dealers over the next few years. This series, perhaps his final one due to failing health, includes a range of small to very large dynamic, powerful paintings in pure red, blacks with white, yellow and ochre highlights. Each of the works features the established imagery of Johnny's Dreamings overpainted to hide the secret and sacred elements. These works have evolved slowly over an eighteen month period during which time the artist has displayed once more his mastery of this unique form of art and storytelling. These important late works are made despite failing eyesight and poor health. It may seem ludicrous to draw parallels between this Aboriginal painting master and Monet in their corresponding last years. However one cannot help noticing those similarities. Further, Johnny's technique and brushwork bear an eerie resemblance to the techniques invented and employed by Monet in his late waterlilly paintings at Giverny. This may only prove that the mark-making we call art is a basic expression of the human spirit as one mind strives to communicate with another in visual terms. The Frenchman Monet was inspired by his Japanese watergarden - Warrungula by his birthright - his ancient dreamings. From 1999 Johnny painted with a new-found freedom, both in expression and in painting technique. Where he was once known for his delicate and soft white dotting, he attacked the canvas to tell the story with great gusto. He jabbed large dots on to the surface and produced roundels and symbols for weapons with great sweeps of his arm and the brush. Red, black, white. Had he painted in France during the 1950s he would have been labeled a 'Taschist'. The audience who saw his paintings at the United Nations Building seemed generally to agree that Johnny was indeed a significant artist who in some sense retained an authenticity and timeless importance in his work that some of the younger painters were yet to achieve. All great painters, past and present, seem to have an additional dimension in their work which may defy description. This evasive quality is sometimes born of the synthesis achieved between colour, form, texture and meaning. When viewing paintings by Johnny Warrungula Tjupurulla we find ourselves in a position where the recognition of another elemental level is tantalisingly close and for a lucky few the spirit is moved beyond words. In the presence of great visual art, the employment of everyday language can become a futile and unproductive gesture. COLLECTIONS: Holmes a Court Queensland Art Gallery, National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Art Gallery of South Australia, National Museum of Australia Canberra, National Gallery of Australia Canberra, Orange Regional Gallery, Alice Springs Law Courts, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory Darwin, Flinders University Art Museum, South Australian Museum, Art Gallery of NSW

Visit our online gallery to see more than 800 spectacular artworks by Australian Aboriginal Artists

Opening this evening: Johnny Warangkula Tjupurulla 1925 - 2001

I am delighted to invite you to a rare exhibition of paintings by one of the founding masters of the Aboriginal art movement, Johnny Warangkula Tjupurulla  (or Johnnny W, as he is affectionately known).   The show opens from:    6 to 8pm Thursday 6th May, in our top floor gallery at 680 Darling Street, Rozelle and continues until Sunday May 30. We are very fortunate to have obtained this outstanding collection of works from the latter part of Johnny's career.  Some of the works have not been exhibited before, and as a group, they demonstrate the unbridled power and profound sense of story of this man's work - all in a confronting but exciting palette of black, white, red and yellow ochres.       Please click here to see a tantalising few of the works from the exhibition. The remainder of the paintings in the exhibition will be uploaded on 5th May, but if you live in Sydney, there is no substitute for seeing them in the flesh. This show is one for the discerning collector and the passionate (but relatively wealthy) enthusiast alike. There is genius here - and an important part of Australian Art history. But please don't be put off by that - all are welcome to visit the gallery and enjoy the raw power of these exciting works. I hope to see you at the opening, or in the subsequent weeks of the exhibition, kind regards, Kate

Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art 35-2010 - BMBG0080 - Awelye and Bush Melon by Betty Mbitjana

"Awelye and Bush Melon" Betty Mbitjana

Click to view a high resolution image, dimensions and price

Betty Mbitjana is the daughter of renowned artist Minne Pwerle and the sister of artist Barbara Weir. She is married to Paddy Club. She paints the awelye, bush berry and bush plum dreaming. Betty's mother and other women used to collect these fruits, cut them up into pieces and skewer them on a piece of wood and dry them to be eaten in times when bush tucker was scarce. Read more about the artist

Visit our online gallery to see more than 800 spectacular contemporary artworks by Australian Aboriginal Artists

Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art 34-2010 - BPI003 - Untitled by Bessie Petyarre (Pitjara)

"Untitled" Bessy Petyarre (Pitjara)

Click to view a high resolution image, dimensions and price

Bessie Pitjara was born circa 1960 in Alhalkere country. She currently lives in Utopia with her mother, who is the renowned artist Polly Ngale. Bessie is also the niece of Kathleen Ngale and Angeline Pwerle Ngale, both of whom are established and highly collectible artists. Read more about the artist

Visit our online gallery to see more than 800 spectacular contemporary artworks by Australian Aboriginal Artists

Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art 33-2010 - PPU22163 - Untitled by Peggy Purvis

"Untitled" Peggy Purvis

Click to view a high resolution image, dimensions and price

Peggy Purvis Petyarre was born around 1948 and is the sister of Annie, Angela and Susan Pununga. She is related to the renowned Central Australian artist Gloria Petyarre. Peggy paints her mother's dreaming which include Kangaroo and Engedkina (pumpkin dreaming) as well as other general dreaming from the Utopia region. Read more about the artist

Visit our online gallery to see more than 800 spectacular contemporary artworks by Australian Aboriginal Artists