Wild Yam Dreaming - Aboriginal Australian Abstract by Judy Kngwarreye (Ngwarai) by Judy Greenie Kngwarreye

Description

Wild Yam Dreaming - Aboriginal Australian Abstract by Judy Greenie Kngwarreye (Ngwarai)

Bright, flowing composition by Judy Greenie Purvis Kngwarreye … more Wild Yam Dreaming - Aboriginal Australian Abstract by Judy Greenie Kngwarreye (Ngwarai)

Bright, flowing composition by Judy Greenie Purvis Kngwarreye (or Ngwarai) (Aboriginal Australian, b. 1962). Built up in many layers, flowing lines of white, orange, pink, and purple overlap each other, with yellow on top. Based on the Wild Yam "Dreaming". Like her grandaunt her paintings evolved from dot paintings into a more difficult, spiritual form—the tangled root forms of her namesake (Kame) plant, the yam. She is painting here in the style of her grandaunt Emily Kngwarreye who took up painting at the age of 79.

Artist's name and date are written on verso ("Judy Ngwarai May 2003")
No frame.
Canvas size: 35.5"H x 23.75"W

Judy Greenie Purvis Kngwarreye (Ngwarai) (Australian, b. 1962) was born in 1962 in Utopia an Aboriginal country in northern Australia and was a teenager when she began working with batik on silk, alongside her mother, Father Greenie Purvis, grandaunt Emily and other family members as part of the Utopia women's batik group that was formed in 1978. This group of artists had been introduced to this medium during a series of adult education workshops and immediately responded to the freedom of expression they could achieve though this work. Batik can be a difficult process and being able to produce quality works such as this in remote communities can be a trying process with the silks being boiled over camp fires to remove the wax and trees or rough clothes lines being constructed to dry the works.
Judy is the eldest daughter to Greeny Purvis Petyarre (also his aunt Emily Kngwarreye a noted artist) and Kathleen Kemarre. Greeny was senior custodian for Alhalkere country. Judy and her sisters’ paintings are associated with this country. Judy paints Kame (Pencil Yam Seed Dreaming), Awelye (Women’s Ceremony and Body Paint Designs) Bush Tucker and Bush Scenes. A side note: Her father Greenie Purvis Petyarre was the most successful male artist in an artistic dynasty that includes his aunt Emily Kngwarreye, cousin Gloria Petyarre and a number of blood sisters and half sisters. A highly respected tribal elder for Alhalkere country, he was born at Boundary Bore around 1930 where he lived until his death in 2010 with his wife Kathleen and their four daughters, all of whom paint.
Judy was involved with the Utopia Batik movement and her work features in the Holmes á Court collection. Judy has featured in several group exhibitions since 1977, including shows at Utopia Art, Sydney; the Orange Regional Gallery; the Austral Gallery, St Louis, USA; the Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin; Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs and the Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs. Her Father Greenie Purvis Greeny, apart from being a very high ranking tribal elder in Utopia, was also the nephew of the late Emily Kame Kngwarreye. His father, Alhalkere Jack, Lindsay Bird's mother and Emily are all blood brothers and sisters. Greeny was married to Kathleen Kemarre and had four daughters.

Judiy's father Greeny's paintings, usually Yam Seed Dreamings, are highly sought after by collectors and galleries throughout the world. Very rarely did he digress from the basic colours, and he painted with the use of lines, medium size dots and very small dots. On occasion he had been known to use very large, splash type dot work during a period of collaborations with Emily Kame Kngwarreye (Greeny being the eldest nephew).

The colours usually indicate different stages, seasons or time e.g. Yam Seed Dreaming - before germinating, after germinating, when bearing fruit and sometimes after it has borne fruit. His paintings appeared to reflect his unpretentious personality - quietly unassuming but with that feeling of endurance and respect.

Collections:
The Holmes á Court Collection, Perth
Mbantua Gallery Permanent Collection, Alice Springs

Exhibitions:
1989 Utopia Women’s Paintings, the First Works On Canvas, A Summer Project, 1988-89, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
1990 Utopia- A Picture Story, an exhibition of 88 works on silk from the Robert Holmes á Court Collection by Utopia Artists which toured Eire and Scotland
2002 Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions: New City Merchants, Knoxville, TN; Art and Soul Gallery, Nashville, TN; 'The Cove Gallery' Portland, OR; Urban Wine Works, Portland, OR; Mary's Woods, Portland, OR
2004 Mbantua Gallery USA exhibition; Knoxville, Tennessee
2005 Yam Dreaming – Atnwelarre, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, N.T less