|
Judy Greeny Purvis
Biography

Judy Purvis Kngwarreye Profile
Judy is the eldest daughter to Greeny
Purvis Petyarre and Kathleen Kemarre. Greeny is senior custodian for
Alhalkere country. Judy and her sisters’
paintings associate with this country. Judy was involved with the Utopia
Batik movement and her work features in the Holmes á Court collection.
Judy has featured in several group exhibitions since 1977, including
shows at Utopia Art, Sydney; the Orange Regional Gallery; the Austral
Gallery, St.
Artist Judy (also
known as Judith) Kngwarreye
Other surnames: Greeny, Purvis
Born 1962
Language Anmatyerre
Country Alhalkere
Medium Silk Batik, Acrylic on canvas and linen
Subject(s) Bush Tucker, Bush Scene and Kame
(Pencil Yam Seed Dreaming), Awelye (women’s ceremony and body paint
designs)
Judy Purvis
Kngwarreye art:
The Dreamtime story for this seed belongs to Judy’s country Alhalkere
in the Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs. "Kame", the seed of
the atnwelarr (pencil yam), is the subject of Judy’s painting.
In the Dreamtime there are txo parts to the Kame story, one that belongs
to Alhalkere and Atnangkere countries, and the other that belongs to
Arnumarra country. Two different seeds were born that created two
different species of pencil yam; one called Atnwelarr which belongs to
Judy’s country, and the other called Arlatyeye which belongs to
Arnumarra country. The Kame story is a major Dreamtime story for Judy’s
country and ceremonies by her people are performed to ensure its
productivity as a food source and life form of the ancestors.
Judy uses soft dot work and beautiful colours in this painting to
represent the kame. Background designs are inspired by the leaf and root
system of the atnwelarr.
COLLECTIONS
Louis, USA; the Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin; Mbantua Gallery, Alice
Springs and the Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs.
The Holmes á Court Collection, Perth
Mbantua Gallery Private Collection, Alice Springs
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
Robert Holmes á Court Collection by Utopia Artists which toured Eire and
Scotland
2002 Mbantua Gallery - Art and Soul Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A
2002 Mbantua Gallery - 'The Cove Gallery' Portland, Oregon U.S.A
(Benefit - OHSU Heart Research Centre)
2002 Mbantua Gallery - Urban Wine Works, Portland, Oregon U.S.A (Benefit
– OHSU Heart Research Centre)
2002 Mbantua Gallery - Mary's Woods, Portland, Oregon U.S.A (Benefit –
OHSU Heart Research Centre)
Aug-Sep 2004 Mbantua Gallery USA exhibition; Knoxville, Tennessee March
2005 Yam Dreaming – Atnwelarre, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, N.T.
FURTHER REFERENCES
Brody, A. 1989, Utopia Women’s Paintings: the First Works on Canvas, A
Summer Project,
1988-89, exhib. cat, Heytesbury Holdings Ltd, Perth ©
Brody, A. 1990, Utopia A Picture Story, 88 Silk Batiks from the Robert
Holmes á Court
Collection Heytesbury Holdings Ltd, Perth ©
Source
& FURTHER REFERENCES:
"Aboriginal
Artists of the Western Desert - A Biographical Dictionary" by Vivien
Johnson, published by Craftsman House 1994,
"The
Oxford Companion to Aboriginal Art and Culture"
edited by Sylvia Kleinert and Margo Neale published by OUP 2000,
“Australian
Aboriginal Artist Encyclopedia”
– dictionary of biographies”
Kreczmanski, Janusz B & Birnberg, Margo (eds.): Aboriginal Artists:
Dictionary of Biographies: Central Desert, Western Desert & Kimberley
Region (JB Publishing Australia, Marleston, 2004).
Brody, A. 1989 Utopia women’s Paintings: the First Works on Canvas, A
summer Project, 1988-89 exhib. Cat. Heytesbury Holdings, Perth
Brody, A. 1990 Utopia, a picture Story, 88 Silk Batiks from the
Robert
Homes
a Court Gallery and gallery Collection,
Heytesbury Holdings LTD Perth NATSIVAD database. |