Tjungkara Ken Explained

Tjungkara Ken
Birth Date:1 October 1969
Birth Place:near Amata, South Australia
Nationality:Australian
Occupation:Painter
Years Active:2008 – present
Organization:Tjala Arts
Style:Western Desert art
Parents:Mick Wikilyiri (father)
Paniny Mick (mother)

Tjungkara Ken (born 1 October 1969) is a Pitjantjatjara artist from Amata, South Australia,[1] in the APY lands. She began painting in 1997,[1] when Minymaku Arts was opened by the women of Amaṯa.[2] She started painting professionally in 2008.[1] By that time, the artists' co-operative had been renamed Tjala Arts.[2]

Themes

Ken's paintings depict stories and figures from her personal Tjukurpa (Dreaming), the spirituality that is associated with her ancestor's homeland. Her father is from the country around Amaṯa and Walitjara, and Ken most often depicts this country and its Tjukurpa in her paintings. She also illustrates her mother's country, which is further west, near Irrunytju in Western Australia.[1]

Exhibitions and awards

Ken's paintings have been featured in group exhibitions in many of Australia's major cities. Some of her work was also part of an exhibition in Graz, Austria in 2002.[1] [3] One of her paintings, titled Ngayuku ngura – My Country, was chosen as a finalist for the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 2010.[3] [4] It was bought by a private collector.[5]

A painting depicting the [[Australian Aboriginal astronomy#Pleiades|Kungkarungkara]] (Seven Sisters Dreaming), was chosen by the Art Gallery of South Australia as the prize for a competition run during the Gallery's Desert Country exhibition in 2011.[6] Ken's painting from the Art Gallery of South Australia's permanent collection was also included in the exhibition and featured on the cover of the Desert Country catalogue. The exhibition featured works by several artists from across the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands, including Maringka Baker, Nura Rupert and Jimmy Baker.[7] [8]

Examples of Ken's work are shown in the National Gallery of Victoria,[9] the Art Gallery of South Australia,[10] the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art,[3] [11] and the National Gallery of Australia.[12] It is also held in several major private galleries in Australia.[1] [3]

She was an Archibald Prize finalist in 2017, with her Kungkarangkalpa tjukurpa (Seven Sisters dreaming), a self-portrait.[13] She was awarded the Roberts Family Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Prize for Seven Sisters, her entry in the 2021 Wynne Prize.[14]

Family links

There are many other artists in Ken's extended family, working out of Tjala Arts. When working with her four sisters—Yaritji Young, Freda Brady, Sandra Ken and Maringka Tunkin—the group is known as the Ken Sisters.[15] [16]

References

  1. Book: Tjukurpa Pulkatjara: The Power of the Law . . Produced by Ananguku Arts and Culture Aboriginal Corporation . 2010 . 9781862548909 . Tregenza . Elizabeth . Kent Town, S.A. . 66 . en . Exhibition catalog . 610710607 . Google Books.
  2. News: Kohen . Apolline . 31 March 2011 . The Stories of the Elders . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140228174243/http://artreview.com.au/exhibitions/22379040-the-stories-of-the-elders . 28 February 2014 . . Australian Art & Leisure Media Pty Ltd . 1447-8587.
  3. Web site: Details of Tjungkara Ken . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120326041435/http://www.shortstgallery.com.au/artist/23298/tjungkara-ken.html . 26 March 2012 . 27 November 2012 . Short Street Gallery .
  4. Web site: 2010 . 27 Telstra national Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander art award - List of Works . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120929211109/http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/museums/exhibitions/natsiaa/27/pdf/room_brochure.pdf . 29 September 2012 . 27 November 2012 . . . 17 . 75 Tjungkara Ken, Ngayuku ngura – My Country, Synthetic polymer paint on linen.
  5. News: Boland . Michaela . 20 April 2012 . Storage laws force collectors to soft-sell . subscription . dead . https://archive.today/20130627-220300/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/visual-arts/storage-laws-force-collectors-to-soft-sell/story-fn9d3avm-1226333747161 . 27 June 2013 . . .
  6. Web site: February 2011 . Desert Country competition winner . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170527021632/http://www.artgallery.sa.gov.au/agsa/home/e-News/2011_e-news/February_e-news . 27 May 2017 . 27 November 2012 . .
  7. Web site: 2010 . DesArt News: Art Gallery of South Australia, Until 26 January 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110217172903/http://www.desart.com.au/DesartNews/tabid/77/Default.aspx . 17 February 2011 . 27 November 2012 . DesArt . Association of Central Australian Aboriginal Art & Craft Centres.
  8. News: Walker . Wendy . 19 November 2010 . Joining the dots on desert movement . dead . https://archive.today/20130627-215804/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/joining-the-dots-on-desert-movement/story-e6frg8n6-1225955918967 . 27 June 2013 . . .
  9. Web site: Artist: Tjungkara Ken . live . https://archive.today/20241015-234932/https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/artist/19451/ . 15 October 2024 . 27 November 2012 . .
  10. Web site: 2012 . Exhibitions: Desert Country: Art Gallery of South Australia travelling exhibition . dead . https://archive.today/20130627-222241/http://www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/nag/exhibitions/past/2012/artist/naata_nungurrayi_watiya_tjuta,_uwalki_1998 . 27 June 2013 . 27 November 2012 . .
  11. Web site: 2012 . Exhibitions: Amata painters . dead . https://archive.today/20130628-005521/http://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/exhibitions/past/2012/contemporary_australia_women/artists/amata_painters . 28 June 2013 . 27 November 2012 . .
  12. Web site: Collection Search: Ken, Tjungkara . dead . https://archive.today/20130627222335/http://artsearch.nga.gov.au/Search.cfm?CREIRN=40184&ORDER_SELECT=1&VIEW_SELECT=4 . 27 June 2013 . 27 November 2012 . .
  13. Web site: 2017 . Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes - Archibald - Past works and winners - 2017: Tjungkara Ken - Kungkarangkalpa tjukurpa (Seven Sisters dreaming), a self-portrait . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240403043637/https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/2017/29841/ . 3 April 2024 . 15 November 2020 . Art Gallery of New South Wales.
  14. Web site: Knowles . Rachael . 15 June 2021 . Story of the stars shines the brightest . live . https://archive.today/20241016-001953/https://nit.com.au/15-06-2021/2050/story-of-the-stars-shines-the-brightest . 16 October 2024 . 27 June 2021 . . en-US.
  15. Web site: Our Art Centre . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241003091636/https://tjalaarts.com.au/about . 3 October 2024 . 16 March 2020 . . Established in 1999, Tjala Arts has launched the careers of artists including....and the five Ken Sisters - Yaritji Young, Freda Brady, Sandra Ken, Maringka Tunkin and Tjungkara Ken - who won the prestigious Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW in 2016..
  16. News: Bearup . Greg . 10 April 2023 . Aboriginal artist Tjungkara Ken claims long story of interference . subscription . live . https://archive.today/20230410-123747/https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/artist-claims-long-story-of-interference/news-story/c19f4a2d2eb773fe378d169d29b7c364?amp&nk=e1d5ced72369f0ff0e0b469369035f6a-1681130272 . 10 April 2023 . 15 October 2024 . . .

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