Vast Interiors

living with aboriginal art

Vast Interiors 2015 is here! Our third level gallery space has been transformed in to an installation of stunning contemporary interiors showcasing aboriginal art.

This year we have partnered with the amazing team at Zaffero Lighting. Their handmade lighting and home decor pieces work perfectly with contemporary Aboriginal art and have created beautiful ambient settings with a uniquely Australian sophistication.

Come and be Inspired!

can't make it to the gallery? here's a sneak peek! 

   

for more news and pictures, make sure you follow us on Facebook, Instagram and our hashtag #VastInteriorsExhibition

The Women of Papunya

their stories, their way

7 March - 29 March

When we think of the birth of the Aboriginal art movement, we instantly think of the humble settlement known as Papunya; of Geoffrey Bardon and of the original Papunya 'painting men'.

The men who began painting at Papunya in 1971-72 are considered the pioneers of Western Desert art.

Little did we know that the women of Papunya were watching on, and in later years would follow in their footsteps, capturing the hearts and imagination of the art world.

 

Ningura Napurrula, the sole female desert artist to paint the ceiling of the acclaimed Musee du quai Branly in Paris.

 This month we have dedicated our third level collectors' gallery to celebrate 19 of the ladies from Papunya, who showed the world it's not just the men who can paint, and honour the women who have made a profound contribution to the Western Desert art movement and international contemporary art.

 There are stunning museum quality works, such as this Ningura Napurrula piece, titled 'Wirrulunga' 

 

 As well as gorgeous examples of the artists' work, which won't break the budget!

         

Mitjili Napurrula Collaborative, Lily Kelly Napangardi & Linda Syddick Napaltjarri

There's also a few artists that will suprise you, such as Utopian artist Barbara Weir, who was working in the kitchen at Papunya and witnessed the birth of the Aboriginal art movement.

 

Barbara Weir Untitled 118 x 178cm 

While the artists' style and subject matter/dreaming stories may vary, there is a confidence and assuredness in their work which comes from a deep and intimate knowledge of culture and country - they are painting their stories, their way.

We hope you can make it to this delightful exhibition that is a 'must-see' for avid fans and collectors of Aboriginal art.

A Window to a Hidden Past

 10 January - 8 February

an important and significant body of work by the dearly missed elder

whose life was kimberley history personified

Jack Dale was a brilliant story teller. Historians and academics alike frantically attempted to record his remarkable life story before his passing in 2013. But Jack, the ever resilient man, wanted to tell his story, his way.When Jack picked up the brush and started to paint, he found a way to tell his story from his own unique perspective and aesthetic. 

Neil McLeod – one of Australia’s leading photographers and researchers of Aboriginal culture - first met Jack Dale in the early 1980s. Over the years a close relationship developed between them, and from 2000 onwards, Jack started to paint almost exclusively for Neil. 

Until now, the closest the public could get to Neil McLeod’s significant collection was through reproductions in his book Jack Dale Mengenen (2010).

But for a limited time, visitors to Kate Owen Gallery will have the opportunity to view Neil McLeod’s significant collection and have the opportunity to purchase an artist who is known as one of the greats from the Kimberley.

Jack Dale’s artwork is a window to a hidden past and doorway to a greater understanding of Indigenous Australian culture and history, a fact that makes his artworks highly collectible. They are important historical and cultural documents, which could equally hang in a fine art gallery or a museum, where their anthropological value is outstanding.

During his life, Jack saw many things that would later be the subjects of his paintings; hiding in the bush watching chain gangs of Aboriginal men being marched away to the Prison Tree in Derby, nostalgic memories of his stockman days, the Wandjina dreaming sites of his people, and even the bombing of Roebuck Bay in WWII. 

These paintings raise your interest and beg to be talked about and considered. Despite the sometimes grim subject matter, there is an enchanting and buoyant spirit in his art, just as there was in this resilient man.

Kate Owen Gallery is privileged to showcase a significant body of work by Jack Dale, which is currently on display and available to view online. 

If you missed our Jack Dale exhibition, here are some shots - enjoy!

The Online Exhibition is still available to view here. 

 

  

We have just received an exciting new body of work by Australia's most significant female Aboriginal artist living & working today - Gloria Petyarre! 

Gloria Petyarre burst onto the Australian art scene in 1999 when she won the prestigious Wynne Prize for Landscape. She was the first Indigenous Australian to win a major non-Indigenous art prize, cementing her name in art history. Since then, Gloria has become a worldwide success with her unique subject matter and remarkable ability to depict her ancient dreaming stories in a highly contemporary and expressive manner. Gloria did not commence painting until 1988, and her talents were immediately apparent. Her depiction of the Kurrajong bush medicine leaves – with her layered, free flowing swirling brush strokes that scatter across the canvas – has since become her iconic motif. Gloria Petyarre is represented in state, national and international galleries and museums. She has travelled with her art to many countries and exhibited in France, Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, USA, Japan, and in regional and commercial galleries throughout Australia.

As Gloria enters her 70’s, this ‘Queen of the Desert’ has an unwavering commitment to her profession, and has shown great determination to turn her undeniable talent into results equalled by only a handful of Australian artists.

Click here to view Gloria's works