Alexandre Valette

Bleu - Pierre VI

2021

Alexandre Valette holds a master's degree in Art History and is an artist with multiple artistic practices. He has been exploring drawing since his y...

As one of the last generation to remember a childhood lived in the desert hunting and gathering with her family, Walangkura Napanangka's paintings recall the stories of country and the location of specific sites in her traditional homeland west of the salt lake of Karrkurutinjinya (Lake Macdonald). Born around 1946, at Tjitururrnga west of Kintore, in the remote and arid country between the Northern Territory and Western Australia, she lived with her father Rantji Tjapangati and mother Inyuwa Nampitjinpa and later, while still a teenager, travelled by foot with her family over the hundreds of kilometres from their remote desert home eventually joining Uta Uta Tjangala's group as they walked in to the settlements of Haasts Bluff and then Papunya. The lure of settlement life with its promise of plentiful food and water belied the harsh conversion they would make to an alien lifestyle with its many problems and unfamiliar demands. The upheaval however, was ameliorated to some degree by the proximity of her immediate family including her mother Inyuwa, adoptive father Tutuma Tjapangati, and sister Pirrmangka Napanangka (now deceased) all of whom became artists. Relocated to the community of Kintore in 1981 when the outstation movement began, Walangkura participated in the historic women's collaborative painting project (1994) that was initiated by the older women as a means of re-affirming their own spiritual and ancestral roots. It was a time of specifically female singing, ceremony and painting, away from the gaze of outsiders and men folk. The huge and colourful canvases that emerged from the women's camp were 'alive with the ritual excitement and narrative intensity of the occasion' (Johnson 2000: 197). Within a year, Papunya Tula Artists, now established at Kintore, had taken on many of these women as full-time artists, revitalising the company after the deaths of many of the original 'painting men'. While individual women forged their own stylistic trajectory, these paintings were immediately distinguishable from the men's more cerebral and symmetrical style. They radiated an exuberant and vibrant energy, the felt heart-beat of women's affinity to country and spirit. Walangkura's early works, created from 1996 onward, are characterized by masses of small markings and motifs covering large areas of canvas. Her favorite colour, a deep sandy orange predominates, accentuated against more somber blacks and reds and dusky greens or yellows. More recent works show a gestural quality though still tightly packed with an intensity of geometric line work representing sandhills. In a sense this provides a strong visual and contextual link to the men's linear style as exemplified by the works of George Tjungurrayi...

Shipping Procedure FREE Shipping Worldwide Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gallery) "The Two Kinds of Life" is a thought-provoking artwork that eloquently portrays the intricate tapestry of existence, emphasizing the interconnected nature of all living things. The painting explores profound themes such as the value of life, the significance of our actions, and the inevitability of mortality. In this artwork, the artist uses a blend of vivid and muted colours to represent the dual aspects of life: vibrancy and vitality on one hand, and the somber inevitability of death on the other. The vibrant areas of the painting might illustrate flourishing life, symbolizing joy, growth, and the potential for positive impact. These sections are interwoven with more subdued tones, representing the finite nature of life and the quiet approach to the end. Through "The Two Kinds of Life," the artist conveys a message about the importance of making a meaningful impact while we are alive. It suggests that despite the inevitable end, the true measure of our lives lies in the legacy we leave behind, the lives we touch, and the positive changes we bring about in our world. This duality invites viewers to reflect on their own lives and consider how they can contribute to the world in a meaningful way before their time comes to an end. In essence, "The Two Kinds of Life" is a poignant reminder of our mortality and a call to action. It urges us to appreciate the preciousness of life, to live fully, and to strive to make a positive difference, ensuring that the impact of our existence reverberates long after we are gone. This artwork not only captures the beauty and complexity of life but also serves as an inspiration to embrace our capacity for change and to live with intention and purpose. About Artist Being an impressionist artist, born in a small town in Osun state, Nigeria, Dunmade Ayegbayo...

One of a kind Mixed Medium on Canvas Artwork: Original abstract mixed media work on canvas, which combines new media - digital original hand painting, printed on canvas, then hand p...