Kudditji Kngwarreye facts for kids

Kudditji Kngwarreye (also known as "Goob") (1938 – 23 January 2017) was an amazing Aboriginal artist from the Utopia community in Australia's Northern Territory. He was a brother (through family connections) to the famous artist Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Like Emily, Kudditji became one of the most important and successful artists in modern Indigenous Australian art.

Life Story of Kudditji

Kudditji Kngwarreye was born in 1938 in the Anmatyerre language group area called Alhalkere. This place is part of the Utopia community, about 250 kilometers northeast of Alice Springs.

German settlers later named this land Utopia. They turned the land into cattle stations. Kudditji became a very skilled stockman, working with cattle. In recent years, Australia has started to recognize how important Aboriginal people were in building the cattle industry. Kudditji saw the success of artist Albert Namatjira. He also lived through the 1967 referendum, which gave Aboriginal people more rights. Kudditji and his people had their land claim approved in 1979. He experienced how different government rules affected Indigenous people in the Northern Territory.

Kudditji started painting around 1986. At first, art galleries didn't like his unique, free style of painting. They wanted him to paint in a more detailed way that was popular then. But after seeing Emily Kame Kngwarreye become famous with a similar abstract style, Kudditji went back to his own way of painting. He continued this until 2015 when he stopped due to illness.

Kudditji's art became well-known for showing his Dreamings. These are important stories and beliefs from his culture. His paintings used abstract shapes, bold colors, and a clever mix of space and form. This made him a very important name in Aboriginal art. He took part in many art shows around the world.

He grew up in the traditional bush and worked as a stockman and a mine worker for many years. He was also a traditional guardian of many important Dreamings. These included stories about the land and men's ceremonial sites in his home country at Utopia Station.

Over time, his Dreamings in art changed a lot. They became amazing blocks of color, striking in how they were put together and their shades. His painting style showed the creation stories, his country, and his traditional Dreamings. His art has a quality similar to the Western artist Mark Rothko. However, Kudditji's work is truly unique and an important Australian voice.

In 2006, Art Collector magazine named Kudditji as one of the top 50 most collectible artists in Australia. He painted from 1986 until 2013, when he became ill. He continued to paint until 2015. Kudditji passed away peacefully in January 2017 in Alice Springs.

Kudditji's Art Style

Acrylic paintings were brought to Utopia in 1988-89. An art show called "A Summer Project" featured paintings by artists from Utopia. Kudditji's work quickly caught the eye of art critics. This happened during a time when art was becoming very popular worldwide.

Many Aboriginal artists used a style with many small dots placed carefully in patterns. This style was developed with help from art teacher Geoffrey Bardon in the Papunya community. But artists in Utopia, including Kudditji, were encouraged to try new things. After a lot of practice, Kudditji's special brushwork style appeared. He kept improving and created his own unique way of painting.

Like many desert artists, he became very good at using acrylic paint on canvas. He used colors and simple shapes to tell stories about his ancestors, especially the Emu Ancestors. These stories showed their journeys and lessons. His paintings often depicted different Emu Dreaming sites and ceremonies important to men.

At first, galleries didn't like his free, intuitive painting style. They wanted him to paint with clear symbols and detailed patterns. But after seeing Emily Kame Kngwarreye become famous with a similar abstract technique, Kudditji went back to exploring his own abstract style.

From early 2003, Kudditji started to experiment. He stopped using dots and instead used a brush loaded with paint to sweep broadly across the canvas. These paintings were like romantic pictures of his country. They showed the colors and shapes of the landscape, including the deep sky during the rainy season and the heat of summer.

While some people admired his early works, they were not widely accepted at the time. Today, Kudditji's works are loved by people all over Australia and the world. He has been featured in major exhibitions and is recognized globally for his traditional depictions of his Dreamings.

For international art collectors, Kudditji's work quickly became a must-have. Collectors admired his skill with paint and his bright, floating fields of color. Many international visitors compared him to the famous American abstract impressionist, Mark Rothko. However, Kudditji didn't know about Rothko. He was simply painting his country, his Dreamings, his way.

Emu Dreaming Stories

When Kudditji was younger, he often took young boys and men hunting emu in his lands. This was a way of combining tradition with practice as part of their journey to becoming men. Kudditji painted his "Emu Dreamings" and "My Country" works based on these experiences.

While painting, Kudditji would often sing. This was his way of putting the stories of the land into his art. These stories included ancestors, hunts, travels, and where to find food and water in Anmatyerre country. Painting and singing also reminded him of home. It was his way of staying connected to his country, even when he was far away in Alice Springs. He painted the country he longed to see again. In those moments of singing and painting, he returned to his country in his heart and mind.

As an elder, Kudditji had important responsibilities. He often guided young boys and men on emu hunts across his ancestral lands. This helped teach them traditions and prepare them for manhood.

Art Collections

Kudditji Kngwarreye's art can be found in many important collections:

• Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs
• Hank Ebes Collection, Melbourne
• Macquarie University, Sydney
• University of New South Wales, Sydney
• Guilleman and Sordello Collection, France
• R. M. Barokh Antiques, California
• Mbantua Gallery Permanent Collection Alice Springs

Art Exhibitions

Kudditji Kngwarreye's art has been shown in many exhibitions:

Solo Exhibitions

• 2016: Singing Up Country | Kudditji Kngwarreye, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
• 2016: Kudditji Kngwarreye - A master painter there is only one of him, Mandel Aboriginal Art Gallery, Melbourne
• 2014: Kudditji Kngwarreye, Japingka Gallery, Perth
• 2014: Earth + Sky, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane
• 2013: Kudditji: Landscapes in the Family Tradition, Booker-Lowe Gallery, Houston, Texas USA
• 2013: Colours of Dreaming | Kudditji Kngwarreye, Mitchell Fine Art, Brisbane
• 2013: The Master Returns, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
• 2011: Kudditji Kngwarreye, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
• 2011: COLOURFIELD: new paintings, Fireworks gallery, Brisbane
• 2010: Kudditji Kngwarreye, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
• 2010: Kudditji Kngwarreye, Palya Proper Fine Arts Alice Springs
• 2009: Kudditji Kngwarreye: Pastels, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
• 2008: My Country, Kudditji Kngwarreye, Central Art Aboriginal Store, Alice Springs
• 2008: 30 Emu Dreamings, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
• 2008: My Country, Japingka Gallery, Perth
• 2006: Masterwork, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
• 2006: My Country, Japingka Gallery, Perth
• 2006: Two Fields, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane
• 2005: Waterhole Aboriginal Art, Danks Street, Sydney
• 2005: New Paintings, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
• 2005: Colours in Country, Art Mob, Hobart, Tasmania
• 2004: My Country, New Paintings, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
• 2004: My Country, Japingka Gallery, Perth
• 2004: Waterhole Aboriginal Art, Sofitel Wentworth Hotel Exhibition, Sydney
• 2003: New Paintings, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
• 1999: New Paintings, Chapel off Chapel, Melbourne

Group Exhibitions

• 2016: Spoilt for Choice- a director's choice exhibition, Kate Gwen Gallery, Sydney
• 2015: Signs and Traces - Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Cultural Institute Zamek, Pozan, Poland
• 2015: From the Vaults - highlights from the Collectors' Gallery, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
• 2014: Vast Interiors, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
• 2012: The Colourists: Kudditji Kngwarreye and Lorna Napurrula Fencer, Japingka Gallery, perth
• 2013: Sky and Desert, Foundation Burkhardt-Felder Arts et Culture, Switzerland
• 2010: Utopia: Eastern Anmatyerre Artists, Neo Gallery, Brisbane
• 2009: Aboriginal Art, Mary Place Gallery, Sydney
• 2009: Reves Aborigines, Musee Arts et Histoire de Bormes-Les-Mimosas, Bormes-Les-Mimosas, France
• 2008: From the Air, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane
• 2008: Black & White: Inspired by Landscape, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
• 2006: New Paintings, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
• 2005: Big Country, Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs
• 2005: Fresh from the Central Desert, Canberra Grammar School, Canberra
• 2004: Two Senior Men, Art Mob Gallery, Tasmania
• 2004: Australian Exhibition Centre, Chicago
• 2004: Heartbeat - Living Country, Wenthworth Hotel, Sydney
• 2004: Spirit of Colour, Depot Gallery, Sydney
• 2002: The Contemporaries, Contemporary Artspace, Brisbane
• 2000: Mia Mia, Aboriginal Art gallery, Melbourne
• 1999: Chapel Off, Chapel gallery, Melbourne
• 1992: Tjukurrpa, Museum fur Volkerkunde, Basel, Switzerland
• 1991: Central Australian Aboriginal Art & Craft Exhibition, Araluen Centre, Alice Springs
• 1990: Art Dock, Contemporary Art from Australia, Nouméa, New Caledonia

Artists Inspired by Kudditji

Many artists around the world were inspired by Kudditji Kngwarreye's work. One example is Melbourne-based painter Vincent Fantauzzo. He is a four-time winner of the Archibald People's Choice Award. In his 2016 exhibition "Last Contact," Vincent showed portraits of great Central Australian artists. He also included a painting by the Indigenous artist and a landscape by himself. Vincent had great respect for Kudditji, saying, "He kind of looks like a character from Lord of the Rings but there's nothing fake about him. Everything is genuine and real."

Fantauzzo felt a strong need to finish Kudditji's portrait when Kudditji became ill in 2015. He said, "That's the time when I realised what he meant to me and what he taught me."

Another artist influenced by Kudditji Kngwarreye is Philip Hunter Lindsay. He is a landscape and portrait artist from Sydney. Philip said he got a lot of inspiration from Kudditji, especially from Kudditji's early life as a stockman in remote central Australia. Philip Hunter Lindsay has painted many colorful portraits of Kudditji Kngwarreye over the years, showing his admiration for the unique Australian artist.

See also

• Australian art