Mavis Ngallametta facts for kids

Mavis Ngallametta exhibition Show Me the Way to Go Home at Queensland Art Gallery, July 2020

Mavis Ngallametta (also known as Waal-Waal Ngallametta) was an amazing Indigenous Australian painter and weaver. She was a respected elder and cultural leader of the Wik and Kugu people. They live in Aurukun, a place on the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland. Her beautiful artworks are shown in many important galleries. These include the National Gallery of Australia and the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane.

Mavis Ngallametta's Early Life

When Mavis was five years old, she moved to the dormitories at Aurukun Mission. Even though she was away from her family, she stayed connected to them. She learned traditional weaving from her mother and aunties. They taught her how to make dilly bags and fruit bowls. These items were made from natural materials like cabbage palm and pandanus plants.

Her Artistic Career

Mavis Ngallametta first became known for her incredible weaving skills. She was a master at using traditional materials. Later, she started painting during a workshop at the Wik and Kugu Art Centre. She began by creating small paintings of important cultural places.

Her larger paintings show the changing seasons. They also feature special places like Ikalath, where she collected white clay. This clay was used to make vibrant local ochre paints. She also painted her traditional country near the Kendall River. She even saw it from an airplane! Other paintings show Wutan, a camping site, and various swamps around Aurukun.

Mavis used traditional materials for her art. She collected ochres, clays, and charcoal herself. Between 2011 and 2019, she created 46 very large paintings. Many major art collections in Australia bought her big artworks during this time.

Mavis Ngallametta's Artworks

Major Art Exhibitions

The Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art held the first big show of Mavis Ngallametta's art. It was called "Show Me the Way to Go Home" and ran from March to August 2020. You can learn more about it here: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art.

Where to See Her Art

You can find Mavis Ngallametta's artworks in many public and private collections, including:

• National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
• Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
• Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
• Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane
• Griffith University, Brisbane
• University of Queensland, Brisbane
• Parliament House Collection, Canberra (her painting Bushfire at Ngak-Pungarichan, 2013, is there)
• The Pat Corrigan Collection
• Holmes à Court Collection
• The Ray Wilson Collection
• The Kerry Stokes Collection
• The Wesfarmers Collection

Awards and Recognitions

Mavis Ngallametta received several awards for her amazing art:

• 2004: Community Arts Achievement Award, Western Cape College, Weipa, Queensland
• 2013: Telstra General Painting Award

Red Ochre Award

The Australia Council for the Arts helps fund and advise on arts in Australia. Since 1993, they have given out the Red Ochre Award. This award celebrates an outstanding Indigenous Australian artist for their lifetime achievements.