Kathleen began her art career in the late 1970’s in the medium of batik with over eighty other women from the Utopia Region in Central Australia. Her work in batik is featured in ‘Utopia A Picture Story’.
When the acrylics on canvas movement swept Utopia in the late 1980’s Kathleen, like the other women, swiftly changed mediums. Kathleen’s popularity as an artist grew in the early 2000’s for her simplistic ‘Anwekety’ (Bush Plum or Conkerberry) paintings. Her work has been exhibited around the globe and is also featured frequently in Aboriginal Art Auctions.
Kathleen speaks little English, but absolutely loves to talk particularly about her Dreamings and her country. She is enthusiastic about her work and continues to try and teach the wider world about her paintings and the Anwekety that features in them. Her influence is so great that her children are also starting to paint for Mbantua Gallery and, we hope, keep the tradition alive.
This amazingly energetic elderly woman has a vibrant quality in her work that is unbeatable. Kathleen’s paintings reflect her energy and colour. The paintings are being well received not only amongst the traditional Aboriginal art collectors, but the new wave of art lovers wanting to incorporate the element of traditional style of the indigenous people, and take advantage of the amazing colour combination and effect of Kathleen’s paintings.
We can be thankful that Kathleen is still able to impart her knowledge and tradition in such a beautiful way and hope that the world continues to show their appreciation of this woman’s tradition and story, while she is still able to tell it.
Collections
Mbantua Gallery Permanent Collection, Alice Springs
The Holmes á Court Collection, Perth
Exhibitions
1990 Utopia A Picture Story, an exhibition of 88 works on silk from the Holmes á Court Collection by Utopia artists which toured Eire and Scotland.
2005 Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions; New York, Connecticut
2006 Colours of Utopia, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle
2008 Emily and Her Legacy, Hillside Gallery, Tokyo with Coo-ee Art Sydney in conjunction with the opening of the landmark retrospective exhibition Utopia – the Genius of Emily Kngwarreye at the National Art Centre, Tokyo, Japan
2008 Dreamings – the Land, Outback Aboriginal Land, Caulfield, Vic
Further References
Brody, A. 1990, Utopia A Picture Story, 88 Silk Batiks from the Robert Holmes á Court Collection Heytesbury Holdings Ltd, Perth
Latz, P. 1995, Bushfires and Bushtucker. IAD Press, Alice Springs
KATHLEEN NGALE born c.1930 UNTITLED, 2010 synthetic polymer paint on linen 120.0 x 90.0 cm donated by Donald Holt PROVENANCE Painted at Delmore Downs Station, November 2010 Delmore Gallery, Melbourne DESCRIPTION Like her sisters Angelina Pwerle and Polly Ngale, Kathleen Ngale has painted the Bush Plum Dreaming of her Country since the 1990s, developing a unique impressionistic style and establishing herself as a remarkable colourist in the process. Working quietly and consistently, she initially received less attention than some of her Utopia peers, but is increasingly recognised as a significant contributor to the movement. Her work is held by the National Gallery of Australia and in important private collections. This work is located at NCIE | 166 – 180 George St, Redfern, New South Wales, 2016
KATHLEEN NGALE (1934-2021) (Eastern Anmatyerr Language Group) Bush Plum 2009 synthetic polymer paint on linen inscribed verso with artist's name and Delmore Gallery cat. no. D9B015 90 x 60cm PROVENANCE: Delmore Gallery, Alice Springs (accompanied by a copy of the certificate of authenticity) Corporate collection, Melbourne Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 25 October 2009, lot 347 Private collection, Melbourne
KATHLEEN NGALE (born c.1930, Anmatyerre Language Group) Bush Plum 2006 synthetic polymer paint on canvas inscribed verso with artist's name, title, date, Artlore stamp and cat. no. 28-806 60 x 60cm PROVENANCE: Artlore, Alice Springs, Northern Territory Niagara Galleries, Melbourne (label verso) Private collection, Melbourne
KATHLEEN KNGALE (BORN 1930) Bush Plum acrylic on linen inscribed and titled verso: KATHLEEN KNAGLE 'BUSH PLUM' and stamped Artlore, Alice Springs cat no.15-307 90 x 60cm PROVENANCE Artlore, Alice Springs High on Art, Melbourne Private Collection, Melbourne
KATHLEEN NGALE (Utopia/Australia 1930 - lives and works in Utopia) Bush. Acrylic on canvas. Signed on the reverse: KATHLEEN NGALA, as well as signed, titled and numbered on the overlap: KATHLEEN NAGALE 040429 Bush. 122 x 62 cm. We thank Mr. Nicolas Andrin for his kind assistance. Provenance: Purchased around 20 years ago, since then private collection Switzerland. “I paint plums, all sorts of plums and flowers, as well as my country” Kathleen Ngale The pictorial symbolism of Kathleen Ngale’s abstract compositions can be understood in the context of the ritual painting of Australian tribal culture. Seemingly far removed from life-like depictions, her works are representative examples of a free interpretation of indigenous narratives. Kathleen Ngale (* ca. 1930) belongs to the oldest generation of artists from “Utopia”, an Aboriginal homeland in the Northern Territory of Australia. To this day, the region remains as removed as possible from Western influences, which is reflected in the biography of Kathleen Ngale, who only came into contact with acrylic paints in the 1980s. Previously she had experimented with the Indonesian batik technique, which is a kind of wax painting on textiles. In the artistic expression of the Aborigines of Utopia, one formal feature stands out in particular: the striking use of dots. Although the cumulative arrangement of the multi-layered colour dots does not follow a strictly pictorial function, the compositions, with their almost pointillist effect, represent a connection to the narrative culture of the Aborigines. In most cases, these are rites and legends of the fertility of their own land, which is guaranteed by the wind which scatters the seeds. In this context the works of Kathleen Ngale now appear surprisingly figurative. The two works offered here at auction also testify, however, to a precise knowledge of the dynamics of colour composition. In both pieces the artist has chosen a saturated monochrome background, in the expanse of which she has placed individual dots. The colour dots float in a kind of negative surface and are reminiscent of highly charged particles in a liquid substance. Kathleen Ngale’s works are regarded as particularly ambitious works of traditional Aboriginal painting and are also much admired and appreciated amongst collectors outside the Australian art scene. Her works have appeared in international exhibitions in Milan (Australian Modern, 2002), London (October Gallery, 2005), Vevey in Switzerland (Galerie Clément, 2006) and Tokyo (Emily Kngwarreye and Her Legacy, 2008). Kathleen Ngale is represented in various public and private collections including the National Gallery of Australia and the Thomas Vroom Collection in the Netherlands. Today she is regarded as a representative voice of the cultural knowledge of her home region. --------------- KATHLEEN NGALE (Utopia/Australien 1930 - lebt und arbeitet in Utopia) Bush. Acryl auf Leinwand. Verso signiert: KATHLEEN NGALA, sowie auf der überlappenden Leinwand signiert, betitelt und nummeriert: KATHLEEN NAGALE 040429 Bush. 122 x 62 cm. Wir danken Herrn Nicolas Andrin für seine freundliche Unterstützung. Provenienz: Vor ca. 20 Jahren erworen, seitdem Privatsammlung Schweiz. „Ich male Pflaumen, alle Sorten von Pflaumen und Blumen sowie mein Land“ Kathleen Ngale Die Bildsymbolik der abstrakten Kompositionen von Kathleen Ngale erschließt sich erst im Kontext der rituellen Malerei australischer Stammeskultur. Von der naturgetreuen Darstellung vermeintlich weit entfernt, stehen ihre Werke exemplarisch für eine freie Interpretation indigener Narrative. Kathleen Ngale (* ca. 1930) zählt zu der ältesten Künstlergeneration des von Aborigines bewohnten Gebietes „Utopia“ im Northern Territory Australiens. Bis heute hält sich die Region von westlichen Einflüssen möglichst abgeschottet, was sich auch in der Biografie Kathleen Ngales niederschlägt, die erstmalig in den 1980ern mit Acrylfarben in Berührung kommt. Zuvor experimentiert sie mit der indonesischen Batik Technik, was einer Art Wachsmalerei auf textilen Stoffen ist. Im künstlerischen Ausdruck der Aborigines aus Utopia sticht ein formales Merkmal besonders hervor: der markante Gebrauch von Punkten. Obwohl die kumulative Anordnung vielschichtiger Farbtupfen keiner streng abbildenden Funktion folgt, stellen die fast schon pointilistisch wirkenden Kompositionen eine Verbindung zur Erzählkultur der Aborigines dar. Zumeist handelt es sich hierbei um Riten und Sagen von der Fruchtbarkeit des eigenen Landes, die durch den Wind, der die Samen streut, gewährleistet wird. In diesem Zusammenhang erscheinen die Arbeiten von Kathleen Ngale nun doch überraschend figurativ. Die beiden hier zur Auktion angebotenen Werke zeugen allerdings auch von einer genauen Kenntnis farbkompositorischer Dynamik. Bewusst wählt die Künstlerin in beiden Exemplaren einen satten, monochromen Hintergrund, in dessen unendliche Weite sie die Tupfen vereinzelt platziert. Die Farbpunkte schwimmen in einer Art Negativfläche und erinnern an spannungsgeladene Teilchen einer liquiden Substanz. Kathleen Ngales Arbeiten gelten als besonders anspruchsvolle Werke der traditionellen Aborigine Malerei und genießen auch in Sammlerkreisen außerhalb der australischen Kunstszene große Bewunderung und Anerkennung. So waren ihre Arbeiten bereits Teil internationaler Ausstellungen in Mailand (Australian Modern, 2002), London (October Gallery, 2005), Vevey (Galerie Clément, 2006) und Tokio (Emily Kngwarreye and Her Legacy, 2008). Kathleen Ngale ist in verschiedenen öffentlichen und privaten Sammlungen vertreten, darunter zählen die National Gallery of Australia sowie die Thomas Vroom Collection in den Niederlanden. Sie gilt heute als repräsentative Stimme des kulturellen Wissens ihrer Heimatregion.
KATHLEEN NGALE (Utopia/Australia 1930 - lives and works in Utopia) Untitled. Acrylic on canvas. On the reverse on the overlap signed and numbered: KATHLEEN NGALE 040437. 122 x 62 cm. We thank Mr. Nicolas Andrin for his kind assistance. Provenance: Purchased around 20 years ago, since then private collection Switzerland. --------------- KATHLEEN NGALE (Utopia/Australien 1930 - lebt und arbeitet in Utopia) Ohne Titel. Acryl auf Leinwand. Verso auf der überlappenden Leinwand signiert und nummeriert: KATHLEEN NGALE 040437. 122 x 62 cm. Wir danken Herrn Nicolas Andrin für seine freundliche Unterstützung. Provenienz: Vor ca. 20 Jahren erworben, seitdem Privatsammlung Schweiz.
KATHLEEN NGALE (BORN c.1930) Pair of paintings Bush Plum Dreaming, 2004 acrylic on linen inscribed verso with artist''s name and Delmore Gallery cat. no. 03B001 89 x 125cm each
KATHLEEN NGALE (BORN c.1930) Arlperre Bush Plum Dreaming, 2004 acrylic on linen inscribed verso with artist''s name and Delmore Gallery cat. no. 04B006 120 x 149cm each
KATHLEEN NGALE (BORN c.1930) Pair of paintings Bush Plum Dreaming, 2004 acrylic on linen inscribed verso with artist''s name and Delmore Gallery cat. no. 03B001 89 x 125cm each
George Ngale Atnangkere Place, 1998 Acrylique sur toile - 121 x 91 cm Groupe Anmatyerre – Utopia – Désert Central Le thème de la toile est fort célèbre puisqu’il est la source principale d’inspiration de Kathleen et Gloria Petyarre, deux des artistes les plus célèbres. Mais ce site appartient également aux hommes.
KATHLEEN NGALE, born c1933, Anwekety, 2006, synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen 122.0 x 59.0 cm accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and photograph from Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs|accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney
Kathleen Ngale (born 1930) My Country 2002 acrylic on canvas 122.5 x 100cm PROVENANCE Provenance: Lauraine Diggins Fine Art, Melbourne (stock 220395) Private Collection, Melbourne
Kathleen Ngale, Bush Plum, dyptique, Acrylique sur toile - 46 x 87 cm et 49 x 97 cm, Ethnie Anmatyerre / Alyawarre- Désert central - Communauté d'Utopia
KATHLEEN NGALE (1930 - ) Flowers in Bush-Plum country, 2004 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 120 x 93 cm Provenance: Artists of Ampilatwatja: Cat. no. URA0482 Private Collection, Qld Sold with original art centre documentation In the artist's own words: "Pretty one, Pretty. Pretty country my country, Bush plum I paint. All the bush plums, all the flowers, all the country."
BORN 1930 BUSH PLUM DREAMING 2001 137 by 91.5 cm Bears artist's name and Urapuntja Artists catalogue number FKNg0104 on the reverse and Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi label on the stretcher Synthetic polymer paint on linen PROVENANCE Urapuntja Artists of Utopia Desart Gallery, Alice Springs Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne Private collection, USA NOTE This painting is sold with an accompanying Desart Gallery certificate
