Search Catalogue
Judy Napangardi Watson
Judy Watson was born at Yarungkanji, Mt. Doreen Station, at the time when many Warlpiri and other Central and Western Desert Peoples were living a traditional nomadic life. With her family Judy made many trips on foot to her country and lived for long periods at Mina Mina and Yingipurlangu, her ancestral country on the border of the Tanami and Gibson Deserts. These places are rich in bush tucker such as wanakiji, bush plums, yakajirri, bush tomatoes, and wardapi, sand goanna. Judy still frequently goes hunting in the country west of Yuendumu, near her homelands. Judy was taught painting by her elder sister, Maggie Napangardi Watson. She painted alongside her at Warlukurlangu artists for a number of years, developing her own unique style.
Though a very tiny woman Judy has had ten children, three of whom she has outlived. She is a woman of incredible energy; this is transmitted to her work through her dynamic use of colour, and energetic "dragged dotting" style. She is at the forefront of a move towards more abstract rendering of Jukurrpa by Warlpiri artists; however her work retains strong kurruwarri, the details which tell of the sacredness of place and song in her culture.
In addition to the Butler Goode Gallery, Judy’s work is also displayed in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Aboriginal Art Museum in Utrecht, Gordon Darling Foundation, Flinders University Art Museum, National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, and the South Australian Museum.
RECENT EXHIBITIONS:
2002 'Warlukurlangu Collection' Parliament House, Canberra
2003 Black and White. Colour. seeing country in two ways Counihan Gallery, Melbourne
2003 'Yimi Pirrijirdi - Strong Stories' Alison Kelly Gallery, Melbourne
2003 'The Colours of Mina Mina' Judy Watson and Betsy Lewis, Raft Gallery, Darwin
2003 "Desert Mob" Araluen Art and Cultural Centre Alice Springs
2004 'Painting Country', Thornquest Gallery, Queensland
2004 Little Warlu, Big Stories, Hot Little paintings by Big artists of Yuendumu, Australia's NT & Outback Centre, Sydney
2004 'Divas of the Desert" Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs
2004 'Dreaming Stories', Indigenart, Perth
2004 'New Works from Yuendumu', Bellas Gallery, Brisbane
2004 'Big Country' Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs, NT
2004 'Desert Mob' Araluen Centre, Alice Springs
2005 "Karnta Jukurrpa", Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
2005 "Warlukurlangu Artists of Yuendumu", Japingka Gallery, Fremantle
 |
|||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
