Sonia Kurarra
Aboriginal & Pacific Art in association with Mangkaja Arts, Fitzroy Crossing, WA presents
SONIA KURARRA www.aboriginalpacificart.com.au
To arrange viewing appointments and for enquires please email info@aboriginalpacificart.com.au or call (02) 9699 2211
26 May - 20 June 2020
Aboriginal Pacific Art and Mangkaja Arts of Fitzroy Crossing present a fresh collection of paintings by Sonia Kurarra. These recent works show an artist reaching new heights in their exploration of paint application and colour. Sonia fearlessly combines mark making using acrylic pens and graffiti markers alongside paint lushly applied with her brush to create sensational contemporary paintings. Sonia paints the sandy billabong country along the stretch of the Fitzroy River that runs directly behind the Yungngora (Noonkanbah) community, situated in a remote part of the West Kimberley Region of Western Australia. After the food waters recede, there are billabongs that hold a plentiful supply of parlka [barramundi], kurlumajarti [catish] and bream. She paints gapi [fish], parrmarr [rocks] where the Fish is cooked, ngurti [coolamon] and a karli [boomerang]. During the Covid-19 global pandemic outbreak Sonia sadly lost her older sister. For the last two months Sonia has been confined to the inner walls at Guwardi Aged care where she lives at Fitzroy Crossing to keep her safe. Sonia has been unable to see family or return home to her community so as to follow the normal procedures for sorry business. It has been an even more difficult time for her amongst the upheaval of these unprecedented times. Continuing on to make the last few paintings for this show, Sonia’s remarkable creative force holds even greater significance. Immersing herself in depictions of her precious river country has brought some solace as she awaits the time she can to family and properly mourn the loss of her sister. - Natalie McCarthy 2020
Sonia Kurarra Martuwarra #273-19 Acrylic on canvas 120 x 90
Sonia Kurarra Martuwarra #100-20 Acrylic on canvas 177 x 88 cm
Sonia Kurarra Martuwarra #445-19 Acrylic on canvas 120 x 90
Sonia Kurarra Martuwarra #404-19 Acrylic on canvas 120 x 90
Sonia Kurarra Martuwarra #72-19 Acrylic on canvas 120 x 90
Sonia Kurarra Martuwarra #99-20 Acrylic on canvas 120 x 120 cm
Sonia Kurarra Martuwarra #32-20 Acrylic on canvas 120 x 118
Sonia Kurarra Martuwarra #367-19 Acrylic on canvas 120 x 90
Sonia Kurarra Martuwarra #233-18 Acrylic on canvas 120 x 120
Sonia Kurarra Martuwarra #405-19 Acrylic on canvas 180 x 95
SONIA KURARRA Skin: Nampiyinti Language: Walmajarri Country: Noonkanbah DOB: c. 1952
Sonia Kurarra grew up in the river country at Yungngora (Noonkanbah). As a young woman she assisted with teaching art to children at the Yungngora Kindergarten. They used to take the children out to the Sandy Billabong and teach them how to paint and dance. There is an ngarrangkarni [Dreamtime] snake that lives in the billabong. His name is Nangurra. Sonia began painting at Mangkaja in the early 1990s working mostly on paper. Since 2008, Sonia has been working predominantly on canvas and her practice has become more recognised and included in major awards. Sonia’s work is now in most major collections within Australia and highly sought after by both national and international galleries and collectors. Sonia paints the sandy billabong country along the stretch of the Fitzroy River that runs directly behind the community. After the food waters recede, there are billabongs that hold a plentiful supply of parlka [barramundi], kurlumajarti [catish] and bream. She paints gapi [fish], parrmarr [rocks] where the Fish is cooked, ngurti [coolamon] and a karli [boomerang]. Sonia paints these images over and over as though they are etched into her psyche; works that are linear representations in monotones and others that are layers lathered on with wild and confident brush strokes and mark making. These contemporary compositions display an outstanding understanding of colour and composition. Sonia is one of the cornerstones of Mangkaja Arts and contemporary art making for the Fitzroy Valley region. SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2020 Sonia Kurarra Aboriginal and Pacific Art, Sydney, NSW 2016 SONIA HANGING VALLEY, QVC, Melbourne, Vic 2014 Sonia Kurarra ReDot Fine Art Gallery, Singapore 2014 Sonia Kurarra Gabrielle Pizzi Gallery, Melbourne, Vic 2013 Sonia Kurarra Aboriginal and Pacific Art, Sydney, NSW 2012/13 Sonia Kurarra FORM Gallery, Perth, WA 2012 Sonia Kurarra Gabrielle Pizzi Gallery, Melbourne, Vic 2011 Sonia Kurarra Short St Gallery, Broome , WA 2010 Sonia Kurarra Randall Lane Fine Art, Perth, WA 2009 Sonia Kurarra Randell Lane Fine Art, Perth, WA 2009 Sonia Kurarra Gallery Gondwana, Sydney, NSW 2009 Sonia Kurarra Short St Gallery, Broome , WA GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2020 Mangkaja Perspex 2019 Creative Growth Artists 2019 Journey through Culture-Tarnanthi 2019 Meeting Places: Mangkaja Arts & Creative Growth
Aboriginal Contemporary, Sydney Outsider Art Fair NYC Redot @Nrthspace, Adelaide Creative Growth Oakland, CA
Group exhibitions continued.. 2019 The National 2019 MCA Sydney 2017 Mangkaja Artists – Tanarnthi Art Gallery of South Australia, SA 2017 Mangkaja Waters Short St Gallery, Broome, WA 2016 PINAKARRILUNY MARNALUNYA NGALIMPAKURA ReDot Fine Art Gallery, SingaporeARTISTS JARLU PALU WANTINYA 2016 Salon De Refuse, Darwin, NT 2015 Bankwest Art Prize, Perth, WA 2015 Tarnathi ‘Works of Significance’ Tandanya, Adelaide, SA 2015 Salon de Refuse, Darwin, NT 2015 Kimberley Art Prize, Derby, WA 2014 Bankwest Art Prize, Bankwest Art Gallery, Perth, WA 2013 Australian and Torres Strait Islander Award, Museum of Northern Territory, Darwin, NT 2011 Sonia Kurarra and Cory Surprise Aboriginal and Pacific Art, NSW 2009 Mangkaja Artists 60x60 Randell Lane Fine Art, Perth, WA 2009 Sharing Difference on Common Ground Holmes a Court Gallery, Perth, WA and Kimberley Aboriginal Artists 2009 Shalom Gamarada, Caspary Conference Centre, University of NSW 2009 East Meets West Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs, NT 2009 Senior Artists from Fitzroy Crossing Suzanne O’Connell Gallery, Brisbane, QLD 2009 Mangkaja Survey Show Short St Gallery, Broome, WA 2009 Emerging and Re-emerging Outstation, Darwin, NT 2009 Margaret River Meets Fitzroy Crossing Tunbridge Gallery, Margaret River, WA 2008 Bendi Lango The Indigenous Scholarship Fund Sydney & Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane, QLD 2008 Mangkaja Artists WA Randell Lane Fine Art, WA 2008 Women on Country Suzanne O’Connell Gallery, Brisbane, QLD 2008 Divas of The Desert Gallery Gondwana, Sydney, NSW 2008 Marnintu Maparnana [Women Painting] ReDot Gallery, Singapore 2008 Wet n’ Wild Artkelch, Freiburg, Germany 2007 Bendi Lango The Indigenous Scholarship Fund Sydney & Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane, QLD 2007 Women Artists of Fitzroy Crossing Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT 2003 Water and Food Cullity Gallery, University of Western Australia COLLECTIONS National Gallery of Victoria The Art Gallery NSW The Art Gallery of WA National Gallery of Australia Utrect Aboriginal Art Museum The Lepley Collection, Perth Bertrand Estrangin Collection
Holmes a Court Collection, Perth Geraldton Regional Art Gallery Murdoch University Art Collection Wesfarmers Collection of Australian Art Peter and Agnes Cooke Collection Kerry Stokes Collection
PUBLIC ART: 2010 Fitzroy Crossing Swimming Pool PUBLICATIONS: 2019: Desert River Sea AGWA Catalogue 2017: Arts Backbone, Vol 16 Issue 2 & Vol 17 Issue 1, August 2017 2014: Arts Backbone, Vol 14 Issue 1, August 2014 2012: Exhibition Calalogue Tandanya SA/Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency Wirrinyiya Ngaragngarag Birra Ngamoo Ngamoo, 2009: Kimberley Aboriginal Artists Sharing Difference on Common Ground 2003: Exhibition Catalogue Cullity Gallery UWA Perth / Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency Martuwarra and Jila, Jumu, Jiwari and Wirrkuja
SONIA KURARRA Aboriginal & Pacific Art, Sydney In association with Mangkaja Arts, Fitzroy Crossing, WA 26 May - 20 June 2020
All images and text remain copyright of the Artist and Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency.
Photos courtesy of Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency
Aboriginal & Pacific Art, 1/24 Wellington Street, Waterloo, NSW, 2017 Australia Ph: +61 2 9699 2211 E: info@aboriginalpacificart.com.au W: www.aboriginalpacificart.com.au