Year 3 & 4 Drawing - One Tree Hill Primary School

Emily Kame Kngwarreye (1910–1996) was born at Alhalkere (Alalgura), on the edge of the Utopia pastoral station, about 250 kilometres northeast of Mparntwe (Alice Springs). She lived most of her life in Alhalkere, her father’s Country, which extends northwest from Utopia through neighbouring Mount Skinner station. Alhalkere is also the name of the creation ancestor who stands as a large monolith there. Her mother’s Country was Alhalpere (Aharlper), just to the east.

Along with many Utopia women, Emily Kame Kngwarreye learnt batik, tie-dye, sewing and woodblock printing from 1977 onwards. She worked in batik for more than a decade until, well into her seventies, she painted her first work in acrylic on canvas in 1988–89. Her natural style and flair flourished in this newly found medium. The subjects of her paintings include bush foods such as wild yam (kame means yam seed and is her principal creation story), bush potato, ntange (grass seed) and merne (food), awelye (body-paint designs related to ceremonies) and emu stories.

Over the years her style shifted, from an early use of dotting, which increasingly veiled awelye or other designs (c.1989–91), to looser dotting (c.1992–95), to brush strokes in minimal striped body-paint designs (c.1994–95) and swirling wild yam and potato designs (c.1995–96).

Student Response

Our class studied the patterns, movement, composition and the colours used by Emily Kame Kngwarreye. We discussed at length her deep connection to her community; how people would come together to help create Kngwarreye's larger works of art. Using posca pens, our students expressed their sense of self and identity through icons, emblems and detailed line work.

Thi Van | Year 3 & 4 Teacher | One Tree Hill Primary School