Genevieve Loy Kemarre

Genevieve Loy Kemarre was born in 1982 and is from the Utopia Community in Central Australia. She is the daughter of Cowboy Louie Pwerle (dec) and Carol Kunoth, both well known artists. Many of her family members are artists, including her sister through kinship, Abie Loy Kemarre. Her maternal grandmother, Nancy Kunoth Petyarre, was also one of the famous Petyarre sisters from Utopia. All her family members have given her guidance for painting, as well as learning her Dreamings and cultural responsibilities.

Her Dreaming is the Bush Turkey, of which her father was also custodian, so it is little surprise that the greatest influence on her art has been Cowboy. The Bush Turkey is a significant Dreaming for Alyawarre people, and it is often re-enacted during ceremonies. This Dreaming is from Eastern Anmatyerr country, which lies on the western side of the Sandover River.

While Cowboy Louie Pwerle often depicted the nesting place of the Bush Turkey, Genevieve depicts the tracks of the Bush Turkey as it searches for seeds and other bush tucker whilst it roams Antwengerrp country, making its way to the waterhole. On a more complex cultural level, her paintings represent the women's ceremonies performed as part of the Dreaming.

Genevieve's finely executed paintings are characterized by intricate patterns of dot work that resemble delicate spidery marks across the canvas. She uses colour that relates to her Country; from the open plains of red sand and spinifex grass to the wooded areas of mulga shrubs, rocky outcrops and the explosions of colour when the bush flowers bloom after rain. Genevieve has a harmonious sense of colour and a careful, steady hand, resulting in mesmerizing and captivating works of art.

She has been exhibiting her art for the past fifteen years, including exhibitions in France and Russia as well as major galleries across Australia. Winning the 2023 National Capital Art Prize - First Nations has certainly been a highlight for this young promising artist. We are delighted to represent Genevieve, as she continues the tradition of exceptional painters from the Utopia Community.

Copyright Kate Owen Gallery February 2023