Dinny Kunoth Kemarre
Dinny Kunoth Kemarre
Born: 1954
Language Group: Anmatyerre
Country: Ahalpere, Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas and Linen, Wood Carving
Subjects: Olden Days Story, Men's Ceremony, Bird, Eagle, Harts Range Races, Bush Football, Footballer (Arawerr Crows), Footballer (North Melbourne), Olden Days Story and Anwekety (Conkerberry), Camp Dog
Born in Utopia in Central Australia in 1954, Dinny Kunoth Kemarre has been a respected sculptor within his Anmatyerre community for many years and of recent years an emerging desert painter. In both mediums, he reveals a natural aptitude and tendency for bright polychrome depictions relating to modern Indigenous life in remote Australia.
There is a sculptural tradition in Central Australia that has deep roots across many generations. Dinny tells stories of his father sculpting, and his sons are actively involved in the art form as well with their work having been exhibited nationally. Customarily, sculptures were restricted to hunting and ceremonial objects, and decorative forms of ceremonial men and animals. More recently this practice has lifted to include a growing diversity of multicultural carvings where Dinny's work often reflects rodeo stars, biblical objects and dioramas, as well as sporting celebrities such as Australian Football League players. In August 2011, Dinny was awarded a Highly Commended in the coveted Telstra national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art award for a chess set made of largepainted carvings. The chess pieces included various birds, ceremonial men and women, elders and pastors.
Football is prevalent in Dinny's paintings and carvings. Bush football is a sport that receives a passionate involvement from the Utopia community throughout the course of its season and sees the teams named after and don insignia of some of the AFL's most prominent teams. Teams include the Apungalingum Eagles, for whom Dinny barracks for, the Mulga Bore Magpies, Arlparra Dockers and Arnkawenyerr Swans.
In 2006, Dinny and his wife Josie Kunoth Petyarre, a well exhibited and awarded artist herself, embarked on a major project where they carved sixteen sculptures of AFL football players, one from each club in the league. These included well known players such as Nathan Buckley, Chris Judd, Gary Ablett, and Adam Goodes. These sculptures came to the attention of curator Phil Manning at AFL World, who invited Dinny and Josie to exhibit at AFL World. The resultant exhibition, Centre Bounce, explored the central role of football to remote Indigenous communities. In 2009, Dinny entered five sculptures of his favouriteAFL players Shaun McManus, Michael O'Loughlin, Buddy Franklin, Leon Davis and David Wirrpanda, titled Dinny's Dream Team.
Collections
Artbank, Sydney, NSW
Berndt Museum of Anthropology, University of Western Australia, WA
City of Perth Collection, Perth, WA
Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Surfers Paradise, QLD
The Kerry Stokes Collection, Perth, WA
Mbantua Gallery Collection, Alice Springs, NT
Exhibitions
2006
Bird on a Wire, Indigenous Images of Australian Birds, Mossenson Galleries, Carlton, VIC
2007
Centre Bounce: Football Carvings from Dinny Kemarre and Josie Kunoth Petyarre, AFL World, Melbourne, VIC
2007
Arrkerre thene Irretye (Night Owl and Eagle): Paintings and Sculpture from Dinny Kemarre and Josie Kunoth Petyarre, Mossenson Galleries, Collingwood, VIC
2009
Togart Contemporary Art Exhibition, Parliament House, Darwin, NT
2009
The Shilo Project, Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC
2010
The Shilo Project, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2011
Dinny Kunoth Kemarre, the First Solo Exhibition, Mbantua Gallery, Mornington, VIC
AWARDS
2007
Willoughby Art Prize, Willoughby Civic Centre, Chatswood, NSW -
2008
Stanthorpe Art Prize, Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery, Stanthorpe, QLD -
2008
Basil Sellers Art Prize, Ian Potter Museum, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC -
2008
25th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA), Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT -
2008
Xstrata Coal Emerging Indigenous Art Award, Queensland Art Gallery, South Bank, QLD -
2009
City of Swan Art Awards, Midland Town Hall, Midland, WA -
2009
Stan and Maureen Duke Gold Coast Art Prize, Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Surfers Paradise, QLD -
2010
27th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA), Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT -
2010
1st Prize Category C: Sculpture and Objects, The Waterhouse Natural History Prize, The South Australian Museum, SA - Winner
2011
3D Category, 28th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Museum and Art Gallery of the NorthernTerritory, Darwin, NT - Highly Commended