Sarah Kngwarreye Morton

Artist: Sarah Kngwarreye Morton

Skin Name: Kngwarrey (also spelt Ngwarrai)

Language Group: Alyawarr

Region: Ngkwarlerlanem and Arnkawenyerr, Utopia, Northern Territory

Vendor: Utopian Aboriginal Art

Dreaming: Awely (Body Paint), Rainbow (Mpwelarr), Honey Ant (Yerramp), Honey Grevillea (Tharrkarr), Wild Flowers

Sarah Kngwarreye Morton, born in October 1958, is the third daughter of Utopian artists Mary Kemarre and Billy (Stockman) Pitjara Morton (deceased).

Together with her mother and sisters, she was involved in the important Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) batik-making community projects which resulted in Utopia - A Picture Story, 88 silk batiks from the Holmes a Court Collection which toured throughout Australia. Her first foray into painting with acrylic on canvas began when CAAMA initiated Utopia Women’s Painting: The first works on canvas – A Summer Project.

Sarah’s work is featured in the Robert Holmes a Court exhibition and collection which has toured extensively within Australia and overseas.

Her painting subjects include Wild Flowers, Sweet Honey Grevillea (Tharrkarr), Rainbow (Mpwelarr) and Honey Ant (Yerramp).

Bibliography:

• Brody, A., 1989, Utopia Women's Paintings: the First Works on Canvas, A Summer Project, 1988-89, exhib. cat., Heytesbury Holdings, Perth. ©
• Brody, A., 1990, Utopia: a Picture Story, 88 Silk Batiks from the Robert Holmes a Court Collection, Heytesbury Holdings Ltd, Perth. ©
• 1993, Aratjara, Art of the First Australians: Traditional and Contemporary Works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Artists, exhib. cat. (conceived and designed by Bernard Luthi in collaboration with Gary Lee), Dumont, Buchverlag, Koln. ©
• 1991, Aboriginal Women's Exhibition, exhib. cat., Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.

Collections:

• Mbantua Gallery Permanent Collection, Alice Springs
• Museum of Victoria, Melbourne
• The National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
• The Holmes a Court Collection, Perth

Exhibitions:

• 1989 - Utopia Women's Paintings, the First Works on Canvas, A Summer Project, 1988-89, S. H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
• 1990 - Utopia - A Picture Story an exhibition of 88 works on silk from the Holmes a Court Collection by Utopia artists which toured Eire and Scotland.
• 1991 - Aboriginal Women's Exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
• 1993/4 - ARATJARA, Art of the First Australians, Touring: Kunstammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Dusseldorf; Hayward Gallery, London; Louisiana Museum, Humlebaek, Denmark
• 2007 - Eastern Desert Song, Brush with Art Festival, Prairie Hotel, Parachilna, SA
• 2008 - Power of Place, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institue Inc