Feature Articles

Warning: This article includes images and name of a recently deceased person that may cause distress to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

With sadness we say an official farewell to Mary Morton Kemarre of Utopia who passed away in late 2016.

Spirits of the Desert came together after extensive collaboration with both artists Colleen Wallace and Angelina Ngale who were featured in the Nov-Jan exhibition.

While the artists spent several months working on the exhibition artworks, much of our preparation and research was spent over a number of years - given that travel to the artists' homes are some 200 km into the desert northeast of Alice Springs in Central Australia; the nearest township. 

"Anwekety Blue carries us away to the Dreaming lands with its ultramarine blue and deep magenta hues."- Senior Curator, Dale Jennings

The vivid palette of mystic, watery colours used in this ethereal piece was commissioned especially for something extra special.

“Soakages that could be protected from fouling by animals would be covered with dead branches, or wire mesh. Other soakages, ones found under the sand, were naturally protected and could be dug with coolamonsuntil clear water pooled in the bottom of their dig.

Collecting bush tucker (or bush foods) is still a common practice by the Aboriginal people of Central Australia, although some of the more arduous forms (such as collecting seeds) is not habitual now. 

Often the subject of Aboriginal paintings are Dreamtime stories that are also food sources, such as conkerberries or bush yams. But when speaking of 'bush tucker' in Aboriginal art the significance is placed on the collecting of food, the rituals associated and the community activity.

Utopia's history is often referenced in artist biographies and other articles, for instance noting it's early batik-making days. But what do you actually know about it? 

Explore Katie Kemarre's new painting depicting a primitive bush scene.

Olden day aboriginal people are hunting and gathering for bush food. They are pictured carrying traditional implements including boomerangs, coolamons (carved wooden bowls) and digging sticks. Traditionally these were made of hard wood such as mallee or mulga; the sticks heavy enough to club smaller animals and doubled as a prod for cooking on the fire.