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 | Born: 1964 Language Group: Alyawarre Country: Ngkwarlerlaneme and Arnkawenyerr, Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs Medium: Acrylic on Canvas and Linen, Silk Batik Subjects: Ilyarnayt (Acacia Validinervia), Alhepalh (Acacia Dictyophleba), Country, Narrative Camp Scenes, Awelye (Women's Ceremony), Ilyarn, Tharrkarr (Sweet Honey Grevillea), Yerrampe (Honey Ant), Rainbow Dreaming (Boor-la-da) |
Hazel Morton Kngwarreye is the daughter of Katie Kemarre (second wife to Billy Petyarre) and comes from a large extended family. She has had an extensive career as an artist and she began painting for Mbantua Gallery in 1991.
Initially Hazel worked in the medium of batik along with over eighty other women, including many of her family, from the Utopia Region in Central Australia. During this time she was involved with the batik workshops and is represented in the Holmes á Court Collection 'Utopia – A Picture Story', 88 silk batiks, which toured extensively. Hazel was also part of 'A Summer Project' 1988-89. Many of her step sisters, cousins and her sister Janice are also artists for Mbantua Gallery, sharing many of the same stories and a similar style, unique to their large family.
Collections
Mbantua Gallery Permanent Collection, Alice Springs
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
The Holmes á Court Collection, Perth
The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, USA
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 Utopian Artists which toured Eire and Scotland |
| 1991 | The Eighth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin |
| 1994 | Tyerabarrbowaraou 2, I shall never become a Whiteman, 5 th Havana Biennial, Cuba, & Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney |
| 2003 | Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions: Art and Soul Gallery, Nashville, TN; 'The Cove Gallery' Portland, OR; Mary's Woods, Portland, OR |
| 2003 | Contemporary Aboriginal Art Event, Umpqua Bank in conjunction with Mbantua Gallery, Portland, Oregon USA |
| 2004 | Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions: Hartford and Greenwich |
| 2004 | Evolution of Utopia, Mbantua Gallery Cultural Museum, Alice Springs |
| 2005 | Evolution of Utopia, Mbantua Gallery Cultural Museum, Alice Springs |
| 2006 | Evolution of Utopia, Mbantua Gallery Cultural Museum, Alice Springs |
| 2014 | Narrativa Herióca - Pintura AborÃgine do Deserto Australiano - Renaissance Hotel, São Paulo, Brazil |
| 2014 | Arca Urbana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Further References
| Brody, A. | 1989, Utopia Women's Paintings: the First Work on Canvas, A Summer Project 1988-89., cat., Heytesbury Holdings, Perth |
| Brody, A. | 1990 Utopia, a Picture Story, 88 Silk Batiks from the Robert Holmes á Court Collection, Heytesbury Holdings Ltd Perth |
| 1993 Aratjara, Art of the First Australians: Traditional and Contemporary Works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Artists, exhib. cat. (conceived and designed by Bernard Luthi in collaboration with Gary Lee) Dumont, Buchverlag, Holn | |
| 1991 Aboriginal Women's Exhibition, exhib. cat., Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney | |
| 1994 Tyerabarrbowaryaou 2 I Shall Never Become a Whiteman, exhib. cat., Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney |
The linear designs in Hazel's painting represent Awelye (Women's Ceremony and Body Paint Designs). These designs are painted onto the chest, breasts, arms and thighs. Powders ground from ochre (clays), charcoal and ash are used as body paint and applied with a flat stick with soft padding. They call this stick 'typale'. The women sing the songs associated with their Awelye as each woman takes her turn to be 'painted-up'.
Women perform Awelye ceremonies to demonstrate respect for their country and the total well-being and health of their community. The concentric circles in the centre of this painting represent the site where the Awelye is being performed.
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