Noreen Dixon, Sisters at Watarru, 101x76cm

• Aboriginal Artists - Noreen Dixon
• Community - Haasts Bluff
• Aboriginal Art Centre - Ikuntji Artists
• Catalogue number - 21-ND160
• Materials - Acrylic on canvas
• Size(cm) - H101 W76 D2  
• Postage variants - Artwork posted rolled for safe shipping
• Orientation - Painted from all sides and OK to hang as wished

This work depicts the story of two female ancestors, sisters, in the Watarru area in South Australia. These sisters are fleeing a man who is pursuing them, hiding in rockholes and caves amid the sandy desert plains. The hypnotising background patterns of lines and dots represent the vast sands of the desert. The younger sister is pregnant; this is indicated by the large symbol of concentric circles, which is the design painted onto pregnant women’s bellies for ceremony. The motif of two smaller circles connected by strong lines represents the body paint of the older sister, whose chest would be painted with this design. The oldest sister is caring for her younger sister and helping to keep them hidden from the man pursuing them.

Noreen is the daughter of painter and fibre artist Anne Dixon and Simon Dixon, son of acclaimed artist Alice Nampitjinpa. She paints in company of her mother, learning her mother’s stories.

A lot of stories are still being recounted of long journeys of people from various language groups, who travelled from rockholes and waterholes to caves and mountains finally arriving at Haasts Bluff. The locals, Luritja people of Haasts Bluff, were already here. Thus Haasts Bluff is a community rich of diversity in language and culture.

Ikuntji Artists was first established in 1992, after a series of workshops with Melbourne artist Marina Strocchi, and under the influence of the then community president, the late Esther Jugadai. The art centre was initially set up to fulfil the role of women’s centre providing services such as catering for old people and children in the community. After first experiences made in printing T-shirts, the artists began producing acrylic paintings on linen and handmade paper, which quickly gained the attention of the Australian and international art world as well as earning the centre an impressive reputation for fine art. The focus changed from a women’s centre to an art centre in 2005 with the incorporation of the art centre as Ikuntji Artists Aboriginal Corporation.

The artists draw their inspiration from their personal ngurra (country) and Tjukurrpa (Dreaming). They interpret the ancestral stories by using traditional symbols, icons and motifs. The artistic repertoire of Ikuntji Artists is diverse and includes for example: naive as well as highly abstract paintings told by each artist in their personal signature style. Throughout the 21 years of its existence the art movement in Ikuntji has flourished and constantly left its mark in the fine art world. At the same time the art centre has been the cultural hub of the community, maintaining, reinforcing and reinvigorating cultural practices through art-making.

Today Ikuntji Artists has eight key artists, who exhibit in Australia and internationally. They are represented in major collections across the globe.

Text: Melanie Greiner, Alison Multa and Dr Chrischona Schmidt

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