Galston resident, Andrew Hede who is an Emeritus Professor at the University of the Sunshine Coast, reports he encountered some of Australia’s greatest artists in the remote deserts around Alice Springs. Over 20 years from the mid-1990s, he collected many exceptional quality Aboriginal paintings and was able to meet the artists and to watch them paint. On Sunday 9th November this year, he and his three sons are hosting an art exhibition and sale of many of the Aboriginal paintings he collected (see ad below).
One of the great artists Andrew encountered was Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, arguably the most internationally famous of all male Aboriginal artists who has worked in traditional ‘dot painting’ style.
With Clifford’s Alice Springs art dealer, Andrew arranged for him to spend time on the Sunshine Coast where he created more than 20 paintings for an exhibition at Noosa (see photo of Andrew opening Clifford’s exhibition in 2000).
The artist who most impressed Andrew was Naata Nungurrayi, a Pintupi elder from Kintore, 660km west of Alice Springs (see image of her painting a masterpiece which will be on display in the exhibition).
Naata developed a unique style of innovating beyond traditional guidelines to depict secret and sacred ‘desert dreamings’ using exquisitely fine dots in rich desert colours. Andrew shared he felt privileged to be able to watch her painting on most of his many visits to Australia’s centre.
Website: www.desertdreamingart.com
Enquiries: [email protected]
