Australian Aboriginal Art, Seven Sisters red painting traditional Dreaming story

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Tjungkara Ken
Australian Aboriginal Art, Seven Sisters red painting traditional Dreaming story
2017

About the Item

Tjungkara Ken is one of Australia's most collectible Aboriginal artists. She is affiliated with Tjala Arts community in the far north of South Australia. This work depicts a very important Tjukurpa (Dreaming Story) of seven sisters on the cusp of womanhood who are being pursued by a lusty old man desperate to secure one of the girls as his wife. Despite the strict kinship laws that prohibit him from marrying them, he uses every piece of magic he has to trick them. The only way the girls' father can save them, is to turn them into stars and send up to the heavens where they become the Pleiades star cluster and the old man becomes the Morning Star. He is still chasing the girls across the sky, but they're forever safe from him. The "U" shape in the centre of the painting represents the old man; next to him is his spear. The small black roundels represent the girls; not all seven are shown all the time because at some points in the story, the old man has captured one (she is later freed by her sisters). The composition simultaneously depicts various stages of this very complex story. Ken is renowned for her exceptional use of colour. Here she uses several shades of red, from a bright cadmium through oranges to a dark burgundy, accented with dark blue and strong yellows. Her tonal shifts change in intensity according to the atmospheric light, just as the colours of the desert change at different times of day. In low light, this piece is subtle and warm; in bright light it is a very dynamic, energetic painting. The primary image was photographed in natural clear daylight; the final image on the wall was shot under overcast daylight. The work is an aerial view of the landscape and can therefore be hung horizontally or vertically. COLLECTIONS: Tjungkara Ken's works are represented in major Australian art museums including the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of South Australia, and Queensland Art Gallery Gallery of Modern Art. Ken has also been a finalist in several important art national awards and in 2016 won the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Wynne Art Prize. PROVENANCE: Tjala Arts, South Australia. This work is accompanied by a Tjala Arts Certificate of Authenticity. Art carrying the authentication of Aboriginal owned and operated art centres is the preferred provenance of Australian museums. For more information, please contact us. SIGNATURE: Aboriginal artists from remote regions typically do not sign their paintings. The unique code marked on the rear of the painting by Tjala Arts matches the code on the accompanying Certificate, a copy of which is stored in Tjala Art's database. This is according to the Australian industry's best practice for cataloguing and authenticating contemporary Aboriginal art. CONDITION: The work is in excellent condition. It is stretched on wooden stretcher bars and is unframed. SHIPPING NOTE: This work ships from Luxembourg. It will be shipped rolled.

Creator:
Tjungkara Ken (1969, Australian)
Creation Year:
2017
Dimensions:
Height: 48.04 in (122 cm)Width: 78.75 in (200 cm)Depth: 0.79 in (2 cm)
Medium:
Linen,Acrylic Polymer
Movement & Style:
Abstract
Period:
21st Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Adelaide, AU
Reference Number:
Seller: GZTJA/TK-1691stDibs: LU91612796163