Anmanari Brown facts for kids

Anmanari Brown is an amazing Aboriginal artist from Australia. She was one of the first artists to start a big art movement in the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara, and Yankunytjatjara lands. This movement began in the year 2000. Since then, her paintings have become very famous. You can find her artwork in important places like the National Gallery of Victoria and the National Gallery of Australia.

Anmanari Brown's Life Story

Anmanari Brown was born around the 1930s. Her birthplace was Purpurna, which is a special waterhole for the Pitjantjatjara people. She grew up living a traditional life in the bush with her family. They lived this way before they met any Euro-Australian people.

Moving to Warburton

In the 1950s, Anmanari's family moved from the bush. They went to live at Warburton with many other Aboriginal families. Warburton was a Christian mission at that time. Anmanari went to school there and was taught by missionaries. Later, she moved to Irrunytju and married Nyakul Dawson.

Starting Her Art Career

Anmanari Brown began her journey as an artist in 2000. The women of Irrunytju had opened an art center. This center was a community-owned program to help people earn money. Anmanari and other older women in the community started painting for Irrunytju Arts. They painted on linen canvases. Their very first art show was held in 2001 in Perth. Their art combined new painting styles with old designs and cultural rules.

Painting with a Friend

From the start of her art career, Anmanari often painted with her friend Tjayanka Woods. In 2007, Anmanari's husband passed away. After this, she and Tjayanka left Irrunytju. They went to live at Papulankutja, which is in Ngaanyatjarra lands. Here, they paint for Papulankutja Artists. In April 2010, the two friends had their first art show together. It was at the Vivien Anderson Gallery in Melbourne.

What Anmanari Paints

Anmanari Brown mostly paints stories from the Kungkarrakalpa Tjukurpa. This means the "Seven Sisters Dreaming." Her connection to this special story comes from her mother. Her mother's homeland is Kuru Ala, a very important place for women. The paintings in Anmanari's solo art show told stories from this Dreaming.

Her Unique Painting Style

Anmanari's paintings are not realistic. This means she does not draw exact pictures of people or landscapes. Instead, she uses iconographic symbols to show them. For example, she uses patterned lines to show tracks on a journey. She might also use seven small shapes or lines to represent the seven sisters. Sometimes, she uses colors to mean something special. Anmanari mainly paints directly on canvas. However, some of her artworks are made using screen-printing methods.