Description

40.6cm x 76.2cm: acrylic on canvas

Canvas sold unstretched

Marlene Connelly

Marlene Connelly is an emerging artist from Kaltukatjara (Docker River). She was born in Tennant Creek. Her mother Bonnie Connelly moved to Kaltukatjara from Ebenezer with Marlene when she was 11 or 12. Her father is Yunkuntjatjara and she has family in Port Augusta. She has lived in Kaltukatjara since she was 12. She married Mr Smith from Warakurna and they lived together in Kaltukatjara and grew up Roxanne. Mr Smith has sadly passed away.

Marlene paints important ladies tjukurpa (dreaming) of the Kaltukatjara area about the traveling of the sisters through the ranges. This area is significant to the ladies of the Western Desert and is a meeting place for law and culture – senior women passing on their knowledge to the young women.

Minyma Kutjara – Marlene Connelly

When I am painting I am thinking about the Tjukurrpa that all the ladies know – the minyma kutjara. This country has strong culture. I am painting those ladies travelling through that gap near Kaltukatjara. They came all the way from South Australia. I am only painting a little bit of this story, the part that is right here. I am painting the kapi (rockholes), tali (sandhills), puli (hills) and karru (creek) of this place.