A vibrant new exhibition by Karen Napaljarri Barnes

Our Karen Napaljarri Barnes show is proving to be popular with visitors young and old. Her depictions of Ngatijirri Jukurrpa (Budgerigar Dreaming) and the birds and animals that live around Yuendumu have such a great charm and presence that they really do stop you in your tracks.

Upstairs visitors can enjoy a salon hang of Karen’s latest body of work simply bursting with colour. Large statement pieces and more affordable smaller works makes it a lively, dynamic show with something for everyone.

Karen is one of Warlukurlangu’s exciting next generation of artists. She caught the attention of the art world some years ago when she showcased her depictions of Ngatijirri Jukurrpa (Budgerigar Dreaming) – using a naïve portrayal of the birds and a very abstract representation of the landscape, favouring bold and contrasting colours. In recent years, Karen has extended her repertoire and has taken great delight in depicting the animals that live around Yuendumu (scroll down for a beautiful selection of her muses, courtesy of Warlukurlangu Artists of Yuendumu!).

Karen’s distinctive style extends an existing Warlukurlangu reputation for innovative and expressive use of bold colour, of which her grandmother, the great Judy Napangardi Watson, was one of the trailblazers. In fact, when Karen first started painting for Warlukurlangu, you would find Karen sitting next to her grandmother, who would not only encourage her to paint but teach her all the important cultural stories and traditions.

This really is a delightful show and the KOG Crew just love seeing visitors to the gallery meet Karen’s quizzical critters, discover their unique charm and personality, and leave with a smile.

 
Some beautiful images of Karen and her muses. All images © Warlukurangu Artists of Yuendumu

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Polly Ngale | Arnwetky Exhibition

On display in the charcoal gallery. Can't visit the gallery? View our online exhibition here.

 
click on image above to view the exhibition catalogue

Polly Ngale is one of the most senior custodians of her country Ahalpere, in the heart of Utopia, located in the north west corner of the Simpson desert and roughly 350km north east of Alice Springs, along the Sandover Highway.

Polly in considered one of the most accomplished painters from the Utopia region and is inspired by the Arnwetky (conkerberry) – a green tangled, spiny shrub that produces fragrant white flowers. After the summer rains tiny green berries begin to grow and ripen, changing colour over the weeks from light green to pinks and browns to yellow, to shades of red and purple when they finally ripen. The fruits very much resemble a plum and is often referred to in English by Polly as a ‘bush plum’. The Arnwetky is a popular variety of bush tucker for the people of Utopia, as well as possessing medicinal properties.

During the Dreamtime, winds came from all directions, carrying the Arnwetky seed all over Polly’s ancestors’ Anmatyerre land. To ensure the continued fruiting of the Arnwetky, the Anmatyerre people pay homage to the spirit of the bush plum by recreating it in their ceremonies through song and dance, and in recent years, through painting. The patterns in the paintings can represent the fruit of the plant, its leaves and flowers, and also the body paint designs that are associated with it during ceremony.

For Anmatyerre women, the bush plum is a source of physical and spiritual sustenance - reminding them of the sacredness of Ahalpere country. Its story is crucial to Anmatyerre women's ceremonies.

Polly’s depictions of Arnwetky are the accumulation of a lifetime's knowledge about the country that she loves and feels a personal responsibility to care for. The power of the art resonates across geographical, botanical and spiritual dimensions.

In recent years, Polly has undergone a renaissance in her work - by all accounts producing some of the finest paintings of her career to date.

Kate Owen Gallery is delighted to present Polly Ngale’s new body of work, which showcases her exuberant and masterful depiction of Arnwetky .

Read More:

Polly Ngale's Bush Plum


Defining Tradition | black & white

We are delighted to present our third exhibition in the 'defining tradition' exhibition series. In this show, we are celebrating the trailblazing artists who moved away from colour and pursued a more minimalistic style. Inspired by ancient Dreamings and the Australian landscape, their works are restrained in colour palette, yet remarkably powerful with exceptional compositional designs.


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On display are the great trailblazers such as Dorothy Napangardi and Lily Kely Napangardi. Dorothy’s early years at Mina Mina (where she lived a traditional bush life), along with the sacred Dreaming stories that inhabit the land, are the inspiration and subject of her work. 

Dorothy’s early artistic endeavours consisted on subject matter such as Bush Plum and Bush Banana – wild fruits that grow in abundance around Mina Mina – depicted in vibrant acrylic tones. Even at this stage, her superb sense of composition was evident. When Dorothy had the opportunity to return to Mina Mina in the mid 2000s*, she had the opportunity to be inspired by the landscape, and  her work developed towards a previously unseen abstracted method of Aboriginal art – all iconography pared back to the barest essentials. Just as Dorothy’s visual effects are subtle and intriguing, so too are their connection to culture and country.

The Australian art world instantly took note of this trailblazer. In 2002 her major solo exhibition (and the first solo exhibition for an Indigenous Australian artist) opened to considerable acclaim at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art, and later toured Asia. In 2012 she became the first indigenous Australian artist to have work accepted by Art Cologne, and in the same year her work was displayed in Ancestral Modern, an exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum. Since Dorothy’s passing, the New York MET has acquired one of her pieces, and there has been a retrospective exhibition at the Seatle Art Museum.

Also on display are the gestural artists such as Charmaine Pwerle. Daughter of Barbara Weir and granddaughter of Minnie Pwerle, Charmaine hails from one of Aboriginal art’s great painting dynasties. Whilst it is tempting to look at Charmaine's artworks in light of her famous relatives, her art demands attention in its own right.

It makes its own statements.

Charmaine’s subject matter draws on stories passed down for generations, but approaches it in a wholly different fashion than her grandmother to whom she is so often compared.

Defining Tradition | black + white also showcases artists who employ exceptionally fine dot work and complex designs, such as Anna Price Petyarre and Dulcie Long Pula.

Like their forebears from Utopia, Anna and Dulcie continue to astound the art world with their distinct and rich artworks, in recent years both having branched out and pursued a more minimalistic style. Exhibiting a restrained colour palette, their works demonstrate an exceptionally fine attention to detail, highlighted by complex designs and fascinating insights into the deep underlying cultural meaning associated with their artworks.

We also present pieces in this exhibition by Clifford Possum and Helen McCarthy Tyalmuty, who have used a black and white colour palette to present stories that are of a more ominous, sombre tone. Follow the links below to find out more about these artwork stories:


Click here to read the story of Awurrapun

 


Click here to read the story of The Tjangala Brothers

 

Click here to read our recent blog piece: Understanding Colour 

We look forward to seeing you in the gallery soon to see this incredible display of works!

* Mina Mina is now uninhabited desert country west of Nyirripi,  since the Warlpiri people’s move into communities Nyirripi and Yeundumu.


 Black & White Art at Home

Love the artworks on display in this exhibition, but are uncertain as to how to incorporate them in to your home or office space? Here is some advice from one of our Senior Art Consultants, Surrey:

The use of black and white Indigenous paintings for contemporary interior spaces create an unquestionably sophisticated and elegant look.  The monochrome allows the viewer to focus on the power of the composition, the ancient narratives behind the designs.

Used in modern interiors these striking artworks are often combined with sleek metals and rich timber surfaces and help create enviable calm, contemporary spaces that feel uncluttered and easy to live in.

Interested in arranging a home trial, digital hang, or using one of our other gallery services? Contact Us and one of our friendly Art Consultants will be able to assist you.

 


Gallery News - April 2019

What an incredible start to the year it has been for the KOG Crew. Here's a summary of 2019 so far;

exhibitions and artist in residence programs

So far we've held two exhibitions in our 'defining tradition' series, with more planned later in the year and extending in to the 2020 exhibition schedule. This weekend will be the official launch of our exhibition seven sisters where artists Andrea Adamson, Athena Nangala Granites and Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi depict the epic Aboriginal Dreamtime story of an Ancestral Being in the guise of a man - who relentlessly pursues seven sisters (Ancestral Women) over land and sky. It is a tale of lust, love, passion and danger. We are hanging the exhibition this week and it is a cracking selection of works - this exhibition is a must-see! Follow the links below to find out more about our past and current exhibitions.

We know our artist in residence program is hugely popular and we are planning to have another one this year, but please be advised that many of the artists we represent have great family and cultural responsibilities meaning plans can change at a moments notice. To stay up to date with the latest news on our artist in residence programs, sign up to our mailing list.

What other exhibitions do we have in store for 2019? Well, we like to keep it a surprise! But if you're a fan of Barbara Weir, Karen Napaltjarri Barnes, Helen McCarthy or just love black and white artworks - watch this space! We'll have some exciting news for you shortly.

artist awards & recognition

A big CONGRATULATIONS to Lockhart River artist Fiona Omeenyo who is a finalist in this years Montalto Sculpture Prize! Fiona's work has been widely exhibited in Australian galleries since winning her first art award in 2001. She has had 15 solo exhibitions and over 40 group exhibitions, as well as being represented in many private and public collections including the National Gallery of Victoria and QUT Art Museum. View Fiona's latest body of work here

We also send our CONGRATULATIONS to Helen McCarthy Tyalmuty - selected as a finalist in the 2019 Calleen Art Award! The acquisitive painting prize is held at the Cowra Regional Art Gallery each year. The winner is announced on Saturday 4 May.

Helen McCarthy Tyalmuty 'Marrawuk (Start of the Wet)' - HMCG0112A  119 x 200cm

Already winner of the Peoples Choice Award at the 2007 Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, in 2017 Helen appeared as a finalist in prestigious art prizes such as the Paddington Art Prize, the Georges River Art Prize, and was awarded the Inaugural Margaret Olley Art Award at the Mosman Art Prize. Over the last eighteen months Helen has spent time in Alice Springs, Darwin, Daly River and Sydney, with 2019 promising to be another exciting year of creative output.

Click here to view our extraordinary collection of works from Helen McCarthy Tyalmuty including brand new artworks.

gallery awards & recognition

The KOG Crew are still buzzing after being named Champion Specialised Retail Small Business for 2019 at The Australian Small Business Champion Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony held on Saturday 6 April with over 1,100 guests in attendance. Daniel, Surrey and Liz were in attendance and received an award statuette, certificate and gained national recognition as an industry leader. Here at Kate Owen Gallery, we couldn’t do what we do without the incredible artists who choose to bless us with their art and our wonderful clients, so a big heartfelt THANK YOU!

We've also just received the news that our loyal clients have voted for us in the 2019 Inner West Local Business Awards and we have been named as a FINALIST! Our sincere thanks for your loyalty and support over the years. 2019 is certainly turning out to be an exciting year for Kate Owen Gallery!