Carlene West facts for kids

Carlene West (born around 1945) is an important Pitjantjatjara Indigenous artist. She comes from the desert region in southern Australia. Her beautiful paintings are displayed in major art galleries. These include the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the National Gallery of Australia. Her artwork has been shown all over Australia and in other countries too.

Her Story

Carlene West was born in a special place called Tjitjiti. This area is part of the traditional lands of the Spinifex people. Tjitjiti is a vast salt lake and a very sacred place. Carlene has a special responsibility to care for this land.

In 1959, Carlene and her family had to leave their home. This happened because of nuclear tests by the British government nearby. Her family moved to a mission called Cundeelee, Western Australia. There, Carlene met her husband, Fred Grant. He is also a well-known Indigenous artist.

Carlene and Fred became leaders in helping the Spinifex people return home. Carlene's art was very important in this effort. Her paintings helped show the deep connection the Spinifex people have to their land. This was part of The Spinifex Art Project, started in 1997. Her art helped prove their traditional ownership of the land. This legal process is called a Native Title claim. In 2009, Carlene and Fred were finally able to move back to Tjitjiti.

Carlene West still creates art today. She lives in Tjuntjuntjara, Western Australia.

Her Art

Carlene West started painting in 1997. She uses acrylic paint on large pieces of canvas. Throughout her career, she has focused on showing her birthplace, Tjitjiti. Her early paintings were in a style common in the Western Desert region. This style was similar to artists from Papunya Tula.

Around 2012, Carlene's art changed a lot. This was due to her experience with Alzheimer's disease. She began to paint Tjitjiti in a new, more flowing way. She uses colors like black, red, and cream. She paints empty spaces on the canvas. These spaces are outlined with fine trails of dots. This unique style is now a key part of her recent work.

Exhibitions

Carlene West's art has been shown in many important exhibitions:

• 2016–2019 Marking the Infinite – This exhibition traveled across the United States and Canada. It was shown in cities like New Orleans, Miami, Washington DC, and Vancouver.

Public Collections

Carlene West's paintings are held in major public art collections. This means her art is owned by museums for everyone to see.

• National Gallery of Victoria
• Art Gallery of New South Wales
• National Gallery of Australia
• The British Museum