Mary Morton Kemarre

Born: c. 1931

Deceased: 2016

Language Group: Alyawarre

Country: Antarrengeny, Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas and Linen, Batik on Silk, Seed Jewellery, Wood Carving

Subjects: Country, Awelye (Women's Ceremony), Apeng (Kurrajong) Dreaming, Merne Altwerr (Split-Jack), Camp Scene, Awelye (Women's Ceremony) for Ngkweyang (Kurrajong Seed)

Mary Morton Kemarre was a well known Utopia artist. She was involved in the batik movement established at Utopia in the late 1970's.

Mary painted her country (Antarrengeny) and the ceremonial body paint designs belonging to her country. She lived in the Utopia region with her large extended family with a bright and bubbly personality. Mary had four daughters, Lucky, Audrey, Sarah and Ruby who are also well known in the Aboriginal art industry.

Collections

The Holmes à Court Collection, Perth, WA

Mbantua Gallery Collection, Alice Springs, NT

Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide, SA

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC

The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, USA

Exhibitions

1989

Utopia Women's Paintings, the first Works on Canvas, A Summer Project, 1988-1989, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney, NSW

1990

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

1990

Stanislawsk-Birnberg, Margo, Journeylines ©

1991

The Eighth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT

1991

Aboriginal Women's Exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW

1993

The Tenth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT

1994

Yiribana, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW

2002-2004

Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions

2004-2006

Evolution of Utopia - opened by the Honorable Robert Hill, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, NT

2005

Small Wonders, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, NT

References

Brody, A.

(1989) Utopia Women's Paintings The First Works on Canvas, A Summer Project 1988-89, exhib.cat., Heytesbury Holdings, Perth, WA

Brody, A.

(1990) Utopia: a Picture Story, 88 Silk Batiks from the Robert Holmes à Court Collection, Heytesbury Holdings, Perth, WA

NATSIVAD

(1997) Database

Isaacs, J.

Desart

(2000) The Aboriginal Art Centres of Central Australia, Putting in the Colour - Contemporary Aboriginal Textiles, Jukurrpa Books (IAD Press) ©