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Indigenous Artists - Indigenous Australia - Aboriginal Tourism |
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As the Australian Indigenous art movement grows and matures, travellers from all
around the world seek it out, some looking not only for an art piece to take
home, but to perhaps to meet the artist themselves. Whether you are a
collector or just your individual looking for a original piece to call your own,
Alice Springs and Central Australia, Darwin and the Top End, offers plenty of outlets, from the many fine
galleries, roadhouses, and smaller businesses offering art for sale. Some
Aboriginal communities have outlets that sell direct to the public, some of
which are listed here or just contact the local visitor centre for more
information.
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Other avenues for purchasing artwork are the special event sales as sometimes held
by places like the
Alice Springs
Cultural Precinct (encompassing the Araluen Centre and Galleries), or
Alice Springs Desert Park. Another very popular place to pick up art and
to actually meet the artist is at the Todd Mall Markets, usually held every
second Sunday, with other special market days also being held. Contact the local
visitor centre or visit the Alice Springs Council website for information on what
day the markets are on, especially if you want to plan your holiday to include a
visit to the Todd Mall Markets. You can also sometimes catch artists
selling their paintings during the week in Todd Mall. Following are some examples of artists and
their works that have previously sold their works through the market. |
• Trephina Sultan / Thanguwa
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Trephina Sultan |
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Trephina Sultan was
born in Alice Springs in Central Australia. Visitors to the Alice Springs area
have been purchasing Trephina’s paintings over many years. The paintings
reflect her family’s culture, upbringing as a young child, and stories
as told by her Elders.
Her work include the ‘dot style’ synonymous with Aboriginal art,
including the many symbolism and iconography that represent the
vegetation, food source, flora and fauna that is representative of
Central Australia. A more recent work, is her ‘Tjanpi Kampanyi’ (Burning
Grass), a move away from her previous traditional works.
As well as producing art of different sizes, from the small to the wall
size canvases, Trephina has also created pieces by request. A recent
commissioned painting incorporated ‘blues’, representing water.
Other works have included the interpretation of stories:
- Kulu - the landing of a meteorite and the beginning of life
- Grandmothers Way - Elder Ladies teaching the children stories, songs and
dance and to have respect for the land
You can place an order for a commissioned piece by Trephina through AusEmade.
For more details and a sample of her works,
click here... |
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• Audrey Rubuntja
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Audrey Rubuntja |
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Audrey
Rubuntja was born in 1942 in the
old Alice Springs hospital to Wildred and Lucy Swift of Hermannsburg. She was the
second born child, her older sister Amy is deceased. Her parents later adopted
another sister, Alisan. Her father worked in the Mission store at
Areyonga, and her mother worked as a housemaid for the local pastor at the time.
She has been painting for about 30 years. Her paintings
tell stories of family, bush tucker gathering and dreamtime stories. As she
explains, ‘My
grandchildren love to watch me paint as I tell them stories and explain to them
the meaning of the different symbols used. In this modern days we have adapted
to the use of acrylic paint to illustrate the same stories that were originally
told with drawings done by hand on bare ground’.
She enjoys painting and passing on the gift to the following
generations. It is an important part of our culture as Aboriginal People.
You can view some of her works through this website,
click here... |
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