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.
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
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
8th 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
10th 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
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
Isaacs, J.
(1999) Spirit Country, Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art, Hardie Grant Books ©
Desart
(2000) The Aboriginal Art Centres of Central Australia, Putting in the Colour - Contemporary Aboriginal Textiles, Jukurrpa Books (IAD Press) ©
