Eileen Yaritja Stevens facts for kids

Eileen Yaritja Stevens was a talented Aboriginal artist from central Australia. She passed away on February 19, 2008. Even though she painted for less than four years, she quickly became very successful. She was known for her unique Western Desert style. Her beautiful artworks are now kept in major art collections across Australia.

About Eileen's Life

Eileen Yaritja Stevens was born around the 1910s. Her birthplace was Makiri, in South Australia. This area is between the communities of Kaltjiti and Watarru today. Her father was from the Yankunytjatjara people. Her mother was Ngaanyatjarra. But Eileen said she belonged to the Pitjantjatjara people.

Eileen grew up living a traditional, nomadic life. This means her family moved around a lot. When she was a young woman, her family settled at Ernabella. This place was a Presbyterian mission at that time. She worked there milking goats.

She met her husband at Ernabella. He worked there chopping trees for building. Later, they moved to Nyapari in the mid-1970s. This area was her husband's traditional homeland. Eileen often visited her own birthplace. However, she lived in Nyapari for the rest of her life.

Eileen as an Artist

Eileen Stevens did not start painting professionally until 2004. She was quite old by then. Her husband had already passed away. Eileen became close friends with another artist, Wingu Tingima. Tingima was already a well-known artist.

In 2006, the Tjungu Palya art centre opened in Nyapari. Both women began to paint for this local community art centre. They often painted together. They shared ideas and traveled to their exhibitions. Eileen's daughter was married to Tingima's son. This meant the two artists shared grandchildren. As their art became more popular, they earned money for their families.

Eileen had a short career, lasting less than four years. But her art was an instant success. Her early paintings were shown in group exhibitions. These shows were held in cities like Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, and Alice Springs. Her first and only solo exhibition was in October 2007. This was less than a year before she died. The exhibition was called "Minyma Kutju: One Woman". It was held at the Vivien Anderson Gallery in Melbourne.

Eileen Stevens died on February 19, 2008, in Ernabella. Her funeral was held in Kaltjiti. Even after her death, her paintings continued to be shown. They were part of many exhibitions with other Tjungu Palya artists. Eileen's artwork is now in important places. These include the National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the Art Gallery of Western Australia, and the National Gallery of Australia.

Eileen's Artwork

Eileen Stevens' art often showed her family's Dreaming. This is a special kind of spirituality for Aṉangu people. Makiri, where she was born, is a sacred place for Aṉangu women. In her paintings, Eileen showed the Dreaming stories connected to Makiri. This was called the Minyma Tjala Tjukurpa.

She also painted stories about Piltati. This place is near her husband's birthplace. It is linked to the Two Snake Men Dreaming. This story is known as Wati Wanampi Kutjara Tjukurpa. The paintings in her solo show in Melbourne were all about this particular Dreaming.

People described Eileen's painting style as bold and powerful. She was known to paint quickly. She used a rich mixture of colors. Her paintings were often done on large canvases.