Lucky Morton Kngwarreye biography

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Lucky Morton Kngwarray Ngwarai born around 1951 is a dynamic force in Australian modern art. She  is a member of one of the famous Kngwarreye family including international artist Emily Kngwarreye. Lucky has featured in many group exhibitions since beginning her artistic career in 1977.

COLLECTIONS
Powerhouse Museum  (Sydney)
National Gallery of Australia (Canberra)
Homes a Court Gallery and gallery Collection (Perth)
Mbantua Museum Alice Springs
Queensland Art Gallery (Brisbane)
Museum & Art Gallery Northern Territory (Darwin)
Spazio Pitti Arte, Florence, Italy
Vlaams Eurospeech Holland
Conferentiecentrum Brussels Belgium
Art Centre Meerzigt Zoetermeer, Rotterdam, the Nerherlands
Vlaams Eurospeech Scotland
Gladstone Regional Art Gallery
Perc Tucker Regional Gallery
Noosa Regional Gallery
Cooloola Shire Public Gallery
Art and Soul Gallery Nashville, Tennessee, USA
The Cove Gallery Portland Oregon, USA
Tennessee USA, Portland Art Museum
private collections around the world

Lucky Morton is a senior artists creating beautifully balanced, powerful and very much contemporary work of art that is high -quality boasting with the multi dimensional physical presence, subtle colour wash, fine shades and the intricate details. Lucky Morton also paints in a naive style (about the British) arrival with her sister Sarah Kngwarreye. When Lucky was growing up she attended a bush school near Hatcher’s Creek which is North East of Utopia and spent her childhood years growing up around Kurrajong Camp in Utopia and MacDonnell Downs Station. For many years, Lucky has attended Bachelor College in Alice Springs which has seen her travel to Darwin and Tenant Creek for further education. 

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.

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Lucky Morton Kngwarreye 1951

Acrylic on Linen on board

35 x 35 cm
framed 45 x 45 cm

35 x 35 cm
framed 45 x 45 cm

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Lucky Morton Kngwarreye is recognised for women stories which comes from her countries are Ngkwalerlanem and Arnkawenyerr country. Lucky paint the ceremonial body paint designs (apply their Cosmetics Makeup) belonging to these countries and also her mother’s country Antarrengeny. She depicts "Awelye" the ceremonial body paint design associated with her country Ngkwarlerlaneme.

In Europe Cosmetics have been in use for thousands of years using ceruse (white lead), to cover the face during the Renaissance, (blindness caused by the mascara Lash Lure during the early 20th century). Romans and Ancient Egyptians used cosmetics containing poisonous mercury and often lead. However Aboriginal Women Cosmetics include only natural earth grounded Powders (red and yellow clays (ochre ), charcoal and Ash.

Aboriginal Woman have been applying natural grounded earth powders that our culture named cosmetic makeup. However the first archaeological evidence of cosmetics usage was found in Egypt around 3500 BC during the Ancient Egypt times with some of royalty owning make-up, such as Nefertiti, Nefertari, mask of Tutankhamun. In Europe in the Middle Ages women like a pale-skinned complexion, which was achieved through either applying pastes of lead, chalk, or flour, or by bloodletting, also put white lead pigment that was known as ceruse (white lead) on their faces to appear to have pale skin. Cosmetic use was frowned upon at many points in Western history. For example, in the 19th century, make-up was used primarily by prostitutes, and Queen Victoria publicly declared makeup improper, vulgar, and acceptable only for use by actors. European Women in the 19th century liked to be thought of as fragile ladies. They compared themselves to delicate flowers and emphasized their delicacy and femininity. They aimed always to look pale and interesting. Sometimes ladies discreetly used a little rouge on the cheeks, and used "belladonna" to dilate their eyes to make their eyes stand out more. Make-up was frowned upon in general especially during the 1870s when social etiquette became more rigid. Actresses however were allowed to use make up and famous beauties such as Sarah Bernhardt and Lillie Langtry could be powdered. Most cosmetic products available in the world were still either chemically dubious, or found in the kitchen amid food colorings, berries and beetroot. By the middle of the 20th century, cosmetics were in widespread use by women in nearly all industrial societies around the world.

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