
MB055599
![]() | Born: 1981 Language Group: Alyawarre Country: Arawerre, Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs Medium: Acrylic on Canvas and Linen Subjects: Iy-lenky-la (Small Earthworm), Awelye (Women's Ceremony), Tharrkarr (Honey Grevillea), Irreyakwerre (Bush Onion), Ntyeny Ngkwarl (Red Mallee Flower), Women's Dreaming, Bush Tucker |
Loretta Jones belongs to a strong family of artists. She grew up at Arawerre (Soapy Bore) which is in the Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs. Her mother, Gypsy Jones, has been an artist for a long time and Loretta would have probably been taught to paint and gained knowledge about the stories she paints by Gypsy and other ladies in her community.
Loretta has five sisters and four brothers (Jilly, Sandra, Agnes, Rhonda, Lilly, Anthony, Robert, Denny and Kevin), most of whom paint as well. She continues to live in the Utopia region with her extended family.
Collections
Mbantua Gallery Permanent Collection, Alice Springs
Exhibitions
2014 | Narrativa Herióca - Pintura AborÃgine do Deserto Australiano - Renaissance Hotel, São Paulo, Brazil |
2014 | Arca Urbana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Loretta paints the story of the Irreyakwerree (bush onion). This plant is also known as yalka, nalgoo or onion grass (Cyperus bulbosus). The Irreyakwerree is one of the most important food plants in Central Australia, growing throughout the area and producing bulbs (onions) all year round except for a few weeks after rain when they germinate to form new plants.
The onions have a dark papery skin that covers their white inner flesh. The onions need to be peeled before being consumed. Loretta depicts this plant through fine linear designs. Loretta uses dot work to represent the seeds of this plant. Bigger dots represent the Irreyakwerree.
There is a Dreaming story for the Irreyakwerree that belongs to Loretta's country, Arawerre. It is very important and ceremonies by Loretta and her people are carried out to demonstrate respect for this story and ensure its food productivity.