Maringka Baker facts for kids

Maringka Baker is an important Aboriginal artist from central Australia. She lives in the Pitjantjatjara community of Kaṉpi, South Australia. Maringka paints for Tjungu Palya, an art center based in nearby Nyapaṟi.

Maringka is well-known for her paintings. Her artworks tell sacred stories from her family's Dreaming (spirituality). Besides their important cultural meanings, her paintings are famous for being rich in color and contrast. She often paints the desert landscape in bright green colors. She uses reds and ochres to show landforms. She also layers contrasting colors to show the desert in full bloom.

Maringka's Early Life

Maringka Baker was born around 1952 in outback Western Australia. She was born at Kaliumpil, an old ceremonial and camping site on the Ngaanyatjarra lands.

Her mother and father passed away when she was a young girl. Maringka was then raised by Anmanari Brown and her other relatives. She went to primary school at the mission in Warburton.

Maringka later ran away to join relatives in Ernabella. She then moved to Kaltjiti. There, she finished high school and became a teacher.

Family and Home

In the late 1960s, Maringka married a man from Papulankutja. They had a daughter named Elaine in 1969. Maringka's husband died when Elaine was still a baby.

Maringka then became a health worker. She moved with her daughter to Irrunytju to work in the local clinic. In the 1980s, Maringka married Douglas Baker. He was the nephew of another artist, Jimmy Baker. They moved back east to live at Kaṉpi.

Her Art Career

Maringka began painting in 2004. She paints for Tjungu Palya, a community arts center. It is located in nearby Nyapaṟi. She has become one of the center's most famous painters.

Since 2005, Maringka's art has been shown in many cities across Australia. These include Adelaide, Alice Springs, Broome, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. Her work has also been shown in exhibitions overseas. These places include Singapore, Seattle, and London.

Her art is kept in important collections. These include the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the Australian National University, and the National Gallery of Victoria.

Featured Exhibitions

In 2007, Maringka was one of thirty artists chosen for a special exhibition. It was the first National Indigenous Art Triennial exhibition. It was called Culture Warriors and was held at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.

This exhibition showed four of her paintings: Anmangunga (2006), Kata Ala (2006), Ngura Mankurpa (2006), and Kuru Ala (2007).

The Story of Kuru Ala

One of her paintings, Kuru Ala, is very important. It shows a sacred women's site near Tjuntjuntjara. This site is linked to the creation story of the Seven Sisters. In Pitjantjatjara, they are called Kungkarrakalpa.

Kuru Ala was chosen as a finalist for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 2009. It is now displayed in the National Gallery in Canberra.

Collections

Maringka Baker's artworks are held in these collections:

• the National Gallery of Victoria (her painting Pukara).
• the National Gallery of Australia (three works, including Kuru Ala, 2008, and Kuru Ala, 2007).

See also

In Spanish: Maringka Baker para niños