Born: 1933

Died: 2021

Language: Anmatyerr

Region: Camel Camp, Utopia

Over the last two decades Kathleen has been painting her Dreamings and she has become a popular artist with a new generation of art lovers. Kathleen began experimenting with modern art forms like many of the women from Utopia during the community project involving silk batiks in 1979. In the late 1980’s another community project was launched in Utopia whereby the women were introduced to canvas and acrylic paints. For many of the artists this allowed them to become even more creative and abstract with their artworks.

Kathleen, a custodian of the Arlparra country is responsible for the Anwekety Dreaming (Bush Plum). This is the primary feature of her paintings. The story of the Bush Plum told through Kathleen’s paintings reveals the geography of the bush plum as well as her knowledge of the significant places; clay pans, soakages and spinifex mounds. Anwekety is a food source for Aboriginal people living in Utopia and the Eastern Desert. The women will often pay homage to the spirit of the bush plum through body paint, song lines and dance cycles during ceremonies.

In 2000 and 2008 Kathleen was a finalist in Australia’s most prestigious art prize, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award.

Collections

The Holmes à Court Collection, Perth,

WAM bantua Gallery Collection, Alice Springs, NT

Exhibitions

1990 Utopia - A Picture Story, an Exhibition of 88 works on Silk by Utopian artists, Holmes à Court Collection, toured Eire and Scotland

2005 Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions

2006 Colours of Utopia, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA

2008 Emily and Her Legacy, Hillside Gallery with Coo-ee Art Sydney, Tokyo, Japan

2008 Dreamings - the Land, Outback Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, VIC