
Born: 1950
Language Group: Alyawarre
Country: Ngkwarlerlaneme and Arnkawenyerr, Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas and Linen, Batik on Silk, Wood Carving
Subjects: Ilyarnayt (Acacia validinervia), Country, Awelye (Women's Ceremony), Alpeyt (Wild Flowers), Devil Dog, Rainbow Dreaming (Boor-la-da), Ilyarn, Tharrkarr (Sweet Honey Grevillea), Yerrampe (Honey Ant), Narrative Camp Scenes
Lucky has featured in many group exhibitions since beginning her artistic career in 1977. The oldest daughter of fellow Utopian artist Mary Morton Kemarre, Lucky participated in batik workshops that were held in Utopia from 1977 to 1987 with her mother and younger siblings. Her work is represented in the Holmes á Court Collection which was exhibited extensively within Australia and abroad.
Like most other batik artists living in Utopia, Lucky made the transition to painting in the summer of 1988-9 as part of CAAMA's 'The First works on Canvas, a Summer Project'. With a more adaptable and effortless medium, Lucky continued to paint with acrylics and has traveled both to Sydney and Melbourne for exhibitions featuring her work. Lucky has also worked briefly with wood sculpture.
When Lucky was growing up she attended a bush school near Hatcher's Creek which is North East of Utopia and spent her childhood years growing up around Kurrajong Camp in Utopia and MacDonnell Downs Station. For many years, Lucky has attended Bachelor College in Alice Springs which has seen her travel to Darwin and Tenant Creek for further education.
Lucky paints an extraordinary variety of stories which she says comes from two Countries. These countries are Ngkwarlerlaneme and Arnkawenyerr of which she belongs to. Lucky can also paint the ceremonial body paint designs belonging to these countries and also her mother's country Antarrengeny.
Collections
Mbantua Gallery Permanent Collection, Alice Springs
Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
The National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
The Holmes á Court Collection, Perth
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
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 Holmes á Court Collection by Utopia artists that toured Eire and Scotland |
1990 | Balance 1990: views, visions, influences QAG, Brisbane |
1991 | The Eighth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin |
1991 | Australian Perspecta, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney |
1998 | Dreamings, Spazio Pitti Arte, Florence, Italy and Vlaams- Eurospeech Conferentiecentrum, Brussels, Belgium |
1998 | Exhibition in Art Centre Meerzigt, Zoetermeer, The Netherlands |
1998 | Art Gallery 'Culture Store', Rotterdam, The Netherlands |
2002 | Regional Galleries Association of Queensland tour |
2002 | Queensland Museum for NAIDOC |
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 |
2003 | National Museum of Australia, Canberra |
2003 | Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions: New City Merchants, Knoxville, TN; Art and Soul Gallery, Nashville, TN; 'The Cove Gallery' Portland, OR; Mary's Woods, Portland, OR |
2003 | Regional Galleries Association of Queensland tour |
2004 | 'Last of the 20th Century', Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs |
2004 | Mbantua Gallery USA exhibition; Greenwich, Connecticut |
2004 | Evolution of Utopia, Mbantua Gallery Cultural Museum, Alice Springs |
2004 | Regional Galleries Association of Queensland tour |
2005 | 'Small Wonders' (A collection of 1'x1' and 1'x1½' paintings), Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, N.T |
2005 | Regional Galleries Association of Queensland tour |
2014 | Narrativa Herióca - Pintura Aborígine do Deserto Australiano - Renaissance Hotel, São Paulo, Brazil |
2014 | Arca Urbana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Awards
2010 | Finalist - The 27th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA) |
Further References
Brody, A. | Utopia: a Picture Story, 99 Silk Batiks from the Robert Holmes a Court Collection, Heytesbury Holdings, Perth, 1990. |
Latz, P. | Bushfires and Bushtucker, IAD Press, Alice Springs, 1995. |