Sylvia Ken facts for kids
Sylvia Kanytjupai Ken (born March 14, 1965) is an Aboriginal Australian artist. She was born in Amata, South Australia. Her famous painting, Seven Sisters, won the 2019 Wynne Prize from the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
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Early Life and Art Beginnings
Sylvia Ken was born in the Amata community. This area is part of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands. She went to school in Amata. After finishing school, she started painting. She also worked on beautiful designs printed on silk fabric, called batik.
Sylvia Ken's Artworks
Since 1999, Sylvia Ken has created her special Tjukurpa paintings. These paintings tell important Aboriginal Creation stories. She started showing her art in 2000. People quickly noticed her unique painted stories.
Awards and Recognition
Sylvia Ken has been a finalist many times. She was chosen for the Telstra National Indigenous Art Award in 2013, 2014, and 2018. This award is very important for Indigenous artists.
In 2019, her painting Seven Sisters won the prestigious Wynne Prize. This award is given by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It is a big honor for artists in Australia.
The Story of Seven Sisters
The Seven Sisters painting tells a Creation story. It is about the star groups Pleiades and Orion. In the story, the seven sisters are the stars of Pleiades. They travel across the night sky. They are trying to get away from Orion, who is also called Nyiru. He is shown as an older man in the painting.
Sylvia Ken's art has been shown all over Australia. It has also been displayed in other countries, like Singapore. Her paintings are part of many important art collections. These collections are found in Australia and around the world.
Where You Can See Her Art
Sylvia Ken's artworks are held in many important collections. These include:
- Art Gallery of South Australia
- Art Gallery Of New South Wales
- Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), Brisbane
