Katie Kemarre work is represented in: Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide; National Gallery of Australia (Canberra); National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne); Mbantua Museum Gallery Permanent Collection, Alice Springs; Homes a Court Gallery and gallery Collection ; Art Gallery of Western Australia (Perth); The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, USA; Museum of Victoria (Melbourne) and collections around the world - BIOGRAPHY

MB031413

Artist: Katie Kemarre
Title: Women's Ceremony MB031413
Medium: Acrylic on Linen
Image Size: 125 x 48cm

Katie Kemarre work has the physical presence of much contemporary work, intricate details, subtle shades of colour that moves with the viewer’s eyes, a contemporary landscape with lace-like precision, painting with tiny brushes tiny dots thus. A powerful, inspiring multi dimensional work of art has fascinating accuracy. Katie Kemarre work is in high demand and her paintings are represented in major private throughout the world.
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MB034249

Artist: Katie Kemarre
Title: Kurrajong Seed MB034249
Medium: Acrylic on Linen
Image Size: 125 X 48

About buying art

Katie Kemarre work has the physical presence of much contemporary work, intricate details, subtle shades of colour that moves with the viewer’s eyes, a contemporary landscape with lace-like precision, painting with tiny brushes tiny dots thus. A powerful, inspiring multi dimensional work of art has fascinating accuracy. Katie Kemarre work is in high demand and her paintings are represented in major private throughout the world.

DETAIL

MB034248

Artist: Katie Kemarre
Title: Kurrajong Seed MB034248
Medium: Acrylic on Linen
Image Size: 125 x 48cm

About buying art

Katie Kemarre work has the physical presence of much contemporary work, intricate details, subtle shades of colour that moves with the viewer’s eyes, a contemporary landscape with lace-like precision, painting with tiny brushes tiny dots thus. A powerful, inspiring multi dimensional work of art has fascinating accuracy. Katie Kemarre work is in high demand and her paintings are represented in major private throughout the world.

DETAIL

MB034250

Artist: Katie Kemarre
Title: Country MB034250
Medium: Acrylic on Linen
Image Size: 125 x 48cm

About buying art

Katie Kemarre work has the physical presence of much contemporary work, intricate details, subtle shades of colour that moves with the viewer’s eyes, a contemporary landscape with lace-like precision, painting with tiny brushes tiny dots thus. A powerful, inspiring multi dimensional work of art has fascinating accuracy. Katie Kemarre work is in high demand and her paintings are represented in major private throughout the world.

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MB031682

Artist: Katie Kemarre
Title: Women's Ceremony MB031682
Medium: Acrylic on Linen
Image Size: 125 x 35cm
 

About buying art

Katie Kemarre work has the physical presence of much contemporary work, intricate details, subtle shades of colour that moves with the viewer’s eyes, a contemporary landscape with lace-like precision, painting with tiny brushes tiny dots thus. A powerful, inspiring multi dimensional work of art has fascinating accuracy. Katie Kemarre work is in high demand and her paintings are represented in major private throughout the world.

DETAIL

MB033231

Artist: Katie Kemarre
Title: Kurrajong Seed MB033231
Medium: Acrylic on Linen
Image Size: 95 x 35cm

About buying art

Katie Kemarre work has the physical presence of much contemporary work, intricate details, subtle shades of colour that moves with the viewer’s eyes, a contemporary landscape with lace-like precision, painting with tiny brushes tiny dots thus. A powerful, inspiring multi dimensional work of art has fascinating accuracy. Katie Kemarre work is in high demand and her paintings are represented in major private throughout the world.

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Biography: Katie Kemarre 

Collections:
Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide
National Gallery of Australia (Canberra)  
National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne)
Mbantua Museum Gallery Permanent Collection, Alice Springs
Homes a Court Gallery and gallery Collection
Art Gallery of Western Australia (Perth)
The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, USA
Museum of Victoria (Melbourne)

Katie Kemarre Profile

Katie participated in the Utopia A Picture Story Exhibition, silk batik by 88 Utopian artists, which toured internationally. Other involvements are the Summer Project, painting from Utopia in 1988-89. Katie has also been involved in wood figures carvings.

Born 1943, Language Alyawarr
Country: Antarrengeny, Utopia Region, N E of Alice Springs
Medium: Silk Batik, Acrylic on Canvas, Sculpture
Subject(s): Antarrengeny Country, Camp Scenes, Apeng (Kurrajong) Dreaming, Awely (Women’s Ceremony and body paint designs)
Skin Name: Kemarre (pronounced Ke-mah-ra, also spelled Akemarr)
Language Group: Alyawarr

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 a 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
1991 Aboriginal Women’s Exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
1993 The Tenth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
1994 Yiribana, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney 2002 Group Exhibition, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs NT
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)
2003 Mbantua Gallery - New City Merchants, Knoxville, Tennessee U.S.A
2003 Mbantua Gallery - Art and Soul Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee U.S.A
2003 Mbantua Gallery - 'The Cove Gallery' Portland, Oregon U.S.A (Benefit - OHSU Heart Research Centre)
2003 Mbantua Gallery - Contemporary Aboriginal Art Event, Umpqua Bank, Portland, Oregon U.S.A (Benefit - OHSU Heart Research Centre)
2003 Mbantua Gallery - Mary's Woods, Portland Oregon U.S.A (Benefit - OHSU Heart Research Centre)
2003 Mbantua Gallery - Art From The Dreamtime, Portland Art Museum, Portland Oregon U.S.A (Benefit - OHSU Heart Research Centre)
Feb 2004 ‘Last of the 20th Century’, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs
Aug-Sep 2004 Mbantua Gallery USA exhibition; Portland, Nashville, Knoxville, Greenwich and New York

Bibliography:
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 a 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, Koln. Neatle, M., 1994, Yiribana, exhib.cat., Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney 1991, Aboriiginal Women’s Exhibition, exhib. Cat. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
NATSIVAD Data Base

Collections:
Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide
National Gallery of Australia (Canberra)  
National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne)
Mbantua Museum Gallery Permanent Collection, Alice Springs
Homes a Court Gallery and gallery Collection
Art Gallery of Western Australia (Perth)
The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, USA
Museum of Victoria (Melbourne)

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.

Kurrajong Seed MB034248, MB034249
Katie paints the story of amern ngkweyang, the seed of the apeng (desert kurrajong) tree. Armen in Katie’s language means food and Ngkweyang is the aping seed. There is an ancient Dreamtime story belonging to the ngkweyang witch lies in the heart of Alyawarr land Katie’s country, Antarrengeny north east of Alice Spring. Ngkweyang is an important and nutritious food source. Not a habitual practice now, the Aboriginal people would collect these seeds, burn them to remove small hairs, and grind them into a paste for making damper (bread).
The green designs in this painting are inspired by the leaf of the aping plant. The background designs represent Katie’s country, Antarrengeny

Women's Ceremony MB031682
The linear designs in Katie’s painting represent awely (women’s ceremony and body paint designs). These designs are painted onto the chest, breasts, arms and thighs. Powders ground from red and yellow ochre (clays), charcoal and ash are used as body paint and applied with a flat stick with soft padding. This stick is called “typale”. The women sing the songs associated with their awely as each woman takes her turn to be “painted-up”. Women perform awely ceremonies to demonstrate respect for their country and the total well-being and health of their community.

Country Story
All of Katie’s Dreamtime stories belong to her country, Antarrengeny in the Utopia Region of Central Australia.
Katie has painted a variety of designs that represent all of her Dreamtime stories. The stories that are featured in this painting include amern ngkweyang, the seed of the apeng (desert kurrajong) tree. Armen in Katie’s language means food and Ngkweyang is the aping seed. Nghweyang is an important and nutritious food source. Not a habitual practice now, the Aboriginal people would collect these seeds, burn them to remove small hairs, and grind them into a paste for making damper (bread).

Katie participated in the Utopia A Picture Story Exhibition, silk batik by 88 Utopian artists, which toured internationally. Other involvements are the Summer Project, painting from Utopia in 1988-89 and many group exhibitions within Australian and America through the 90's and 00's. Katie has also been involved in wood figure carvings.