Lorna Fencer

DOB: c.1920 - d.2006
Born: Yartulu Yartulu, Tanami Desert
Region Tanami Desert
Language Warlpiri
Country Yumurrpa

About Artist:
Lorna Napurrula Fencer was born about 1924 at Yartulu Yartulu, and was custodian of inherited land, Yumurrpa, situated near Chilla Well, south of the Granites Mine Area of the Tanami Desert. In 1949 many Warlpiri, including Lorna Napurrula, were forcibly transported to the government settlement of Lajamanu at Hookers Creek, situated in the country of the Gurindji people, 250 miles to the north of their own country around Yuendumu. Lorna Napurrula nevertheless maintained and strengthened her cultural identity through ceremonial activity and art, and asserted her position as
a prominent elder and teacher in the community.

The travels of Napurrula and Nakamarrra kinship or "skin" groups were the inspiration for Lorna Napurrula's work, and she was custodian of the Dreamings associated with bush potato (yarla), caterpillar (luju), bush onion, yam and also bush tomato, bush plum, many different seeds, and, (importantly) water, for the Napurrula, Nakamarra, Japarrula, and Jakamarra skin groups. She began painting on canvas during the mid 1980's, prior to which, she painted on traditional women's
coolamons and digging sticks for ceremony and for sale.

Represented in the National Gallery, State Galleries and major private collections, Lorna's work has always been in strong demand, but with her final works, seemed to find a new freedom and joy of expression which radiated from her stunning canvasses. Lorna was renowned for her innate sense and use of colour, and her later canvasses seemed to explode with a vibrant, full palette of colour, bringing a new vision and understanding to the ancient Dreaming stories.


Awards:

1997: Conrad Jupiters Casino, Gold Coast City Art Award


Major collections:

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Museum & Art Galleries of the NT, Darwin
Australian Heritage Commission Collection, Canberra
Christensen Collection, held by Museum of Victoria, Melbourne.
Holmes a Court Collection of Western Australia;
Artbank, Sydney
Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Gold Coast, QLD
Gantner Myer Collection of Aboriginal Art
Margaret Carnegie Collection
Laverty Collection, Sydney
Kerry Stokes Collection, Perth
Leewuin Estate
Aboriginal Art Museum, The Netherlands.


Commissions:

1998: Included in triennial John McCaughey Memorial Art Prize


Solo exhibitions:

2008: The Genius of Lorna Fencer Napurrula, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
2005: Lorna Napurrula Fencer: Recent Paintings, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney;
All About Yumarrpa, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne.

Selected group exhibitions:

2005: Decouvrir, Rever, Investir, Australian Embassy, Paris, France.
2004: The Dancers - Warlpiri Women, Art Mob, Hobart; Colour Power -The Ian Potter Centre, NGV Australia, Melbourne.
2004: 21st Telstra National Aborigainal and Torres Strait islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin.
2003: 20th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin.
2002: Lorna Napurrula Fencer, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, Western Australia
2002: Lorna Napurrula Fencer - The Big Picture, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
2002: Lorna Fencer - Inner Spring - New Works from the Tanami, Mary Place Gallery, Sydney
2001: Little Gems, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, Western Australia
2000: Opening of Yuwayi Art Centre, Yuwayi Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2000: Lajamanu, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, Western Australia
1999: Yapa, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
1999: United Nations Building New York, USA
1999: Australian Embassy in Washington D.C
1998: Yulyulu, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
1998: Wild Warlpiri Women, Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney
1998: Warnayaka Warlpiri, Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin
1998: Australian Heritage Commission, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
1998: 6th Australian Contemporary Art Fair, Exhibition Building, Melbourne
1988: People, Place and Art, Hilton International Hotel, Adelaide, South Australia
1997/8: John McCaughey Memorial Art Prize, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
1997: Women's Body Paint, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
1997: Recent Acquisitions, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
1997: Me Warlpiri, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
1996: All About Art, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
1994: Yapakurlangu Wirrkardu, Batchelor College, Tennant Creek, Northern Territory
1991: Paint Up Big: Warlpiri Women's Art from Lajamanu, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
1991: Aboriginal Art, Australian Embassy, Washington USA
1991: Aboriginal Art and Spirituality, High Court of Australia Canberra, ACT


Selected biographies:

Ryan, Judith - Paint up Big Warlpiri Women's Art,
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Glowczewski, B - Yapa, Peintres Aborigines de Balgo et Lajamanu,
1991 Lebon Gallery, Paris Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
Johnson, V - The Dictionary of Western Desert Artists,
Craftsman House, East Roseville, New South Wales
Isaacs, J - Spirit Country - Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art,
Hardie Grant Books, South Yarra, Victoria