Kathleen Ngale facts for kids
Kathleen Ngale is a very important Aboriginal artist. She was born around 1930 in a place called Utopia in Central Australia. Kathleen is one of the oldest living artists from Utopia. People often compare her to other famous Aboriginal artists like Emily Kngwarreye and Minnie Pwerle.
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About Kathleen Ngale
Her Life and Home
Kathleen Ngale was born around 1930. This was at a place called Camel Camp Station. It is about 250 kilometers northeast of Alice Springs. She still lives there today with her family.
Becoming an Artist
Kathleen started making art in 1979. She first used a method called Batik. This is a way of dyeing fabric. Later, in the late 1980s, she began painting. She used acrylic paints on canvas. Many other Aboriginal artists also started painting this way. Her paintings are now seen as some of the most amazing and detailed Aboriginal art.
Kathleen's art has been shown in many exhibitions. These shows were in Australia and other countries. She was also a finalist for a big art award. This was the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award. She was nominated in 2000 and again in 2008. Today, Kathleen Ngale is a senior leader. She holds important cultural knowledge for her home country, Arlparra. Her younger sisters, Polly Ngale and Angelina Pwerle Ngale, are also artists.
Her Artworks
Kathleen Ngale's paintings show her country, Arlparra. They often tell stories about the 'Bush Plum' (called anwekety) Dreaming. The Dreaming is a very important part of Aboriginal culture. It includes stories about creation and the land.
Her paintings are made with many layers of dots. These dots are placed on top of each other. This creates a feeling of depth and movement. It makes the paintings look like they are glowing. You can see many colors shimmering through the top layers. This makes her art very complex and beautiful.
Art experts have praised Kathleen's work. Sasha Grishin, a professor of art history, wrote about her in 2009. He said she creates "memorable and visually dazzling paintings." He also said she has a "unique and distinctive stylistic language." This means her art style is special and powerful. Her paintings, and those of her sister Polly, are now very popular.
Where Her Art Has Been Shown
Kathleen Ngale's art has been shown in many places. Here are some of the selected exhibitions:
- 1992 Modern Art-Ancient Icon – The World Bank, Washington, US
- 2000 Urapunja artists in Brisbane, Micheal Sourgnes
- 2001 Utopia a Special Painting Place – Bett Gallery, Hobart, Tasmania
- 2002 Two sisters, Kathleen and Polly, Lorraine Diggins, Melbourne
- 2002 Australian Modern, Fondazione Mudima, Milan, Italy
- 2005 October Gallery, London
- 2006 Galerie Clément, Vevey, Switzerland
- 2008 Emily Kngwarreye and Her Legacy, Tokyo, Japan
- 2018 Beyond the Veil, Olsen Gruin Gallery, New York
Important Art Collections
Kathleen Ngale's paintings are part of important art collections. These include:
- National Gallery of Australia
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
- Thomas Vroom Collection, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Holmas a Court Collection, Perth
