Dinny Kunoth Kemarre

Artist: Dinny Kunoth Kemarre
Skin name: Kemarre 
Language group: Anmatyerre
Country: Ahalpere
Area: Utopia Region, Central Australia
Born: 1954

Dinny’s work, both in painting and sculpture, reflects a diverse multicultural range, including rodeo stars, biblical objects and dioramas, sporting celebrities and activities. In August 2011, Dinny was awarded a Highly Commended in the coveted Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art award for a chess set made of large painted carvings. The chess pieces included various birds, ceremonial men and women, elders and pastors.

In 2006, Dinny and his wife Josie Kunoth Petyarre, a well exhibited and awarded artist herself, embarked on a major project where they carved sixteen sculptures of AFL football players, one from each club in the league. These included well known players such as Nathan Buckley, Chris Judd, Gary Ablett, and Adam Goodes. These sculptures came to the attention of curator Phil Manning at AFL World, who invited Dinny and Josie to exhibit at AFL World. The resultant exhibition, Centre Bounce, explored the central role of football to remote Indigenous communities. In 2009, Dinny entered five sculptures of his favourite AFL players Shaun McManus, Michael O’Loughlin, Buddy Franklin, Leon Davis and David Wirrpanda, titled Dinny’s Dream Team.

Bush football is a sport that receives a passionate involvement from the Utopia community throughout the course of its season and sees the teams named after and don insignia of some of the AFL’s most prominent teams. Utopia teams include the Apungalingum Eagles, for whom Dinny barracks for, the Mulga Bore Magpies, Arlparra Dockers and Arnkawenyerr Swans.

“They are all great players – I like to gather around the television with my sons Alan, Simon, Patrick and Benjamin and watch the AFL – even better is going to see my sons play for the Apungalingum Eagles in our local bush football competition, families come from all around to watch the bush football games although not as many people as at the MCG.” – Dinny Kunoth, 2009

Dinny’s desire is to share his passions of contemporary Aboriginal life in remote Central Australia through his artwork. If not painting or creating award winning scuptures, he says he can be found supporting many remote sporting events such as the bush football or the Harts Range Races or performing spiritual gospel music on his guitar or keyboard in his small community church band.

Personal life

Prior to becoming an artist, as a young man Dinny worked at many stations in the remote Eastern desert, branding and mustering cattle at neighbouring stations. During the 80’s, Dinny lived at Soakage Bore in Utopia, a small community in the heart of Ahalpere country, with a number of now high profile names in Australian art; the late Minnie Pwerle, the late Lily Sandover, and the late Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Dinny has nine children and is married to fellow Utopia artist Josie Kunoth.