Nancy Kunoth Petyarre sadly passed end of August 2009. At her request, she now rests next to Emily Kame Kngwarreye in a lovely sheltered location along the Sandover Highway. Her warm, open and cheerful spirit is deeply missed. Anne Speed, Cicada Trading's director, will always treasure the times she shared with Nancy Kunoth over the past few years.
Nancy's photo has been removed out of respect.
Nancy Kunoth was born in the late thirties and lives in Utopia, 170 miles north east
of Alice Springs. Her sisters are the well-known Australian Indigenous
artists, Gloria Petyarre, Kathleen Petyarre, Ada Bird, Violet Petyarre,
Myrtle Petyarre and Jeanie Petyarre. Nancy was married then widowed
with six children, who are also artists. Nancy's sister Kathleen
was one of the key Anmatyerre women involved in the successful claim for
the freehold title, which led to the 1979 formal hand-over of the Utopia
pastoral lease back to its traditional owners.
Nancy, like many other women artists in the Utopia region,
started painting in the early eighties, first on batik and later on canvas.
Nancy is a widely known artist collected in many private and public galleries,
including the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New
South Wales, Australia.
Her main Dreamings are "Mountain Devil Dreaming"
and "Body Paint". Nancy was noted for her linear style and this
is particularly evident in "Mountain Devil Dreaming" where she
uses bold flowing strokes and bright colours.
Nancy is
also well-known for her carvings and they have featured in numerous exhibitions.
Nancy has done wood block prints that are exhibited in the National Gallery
of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Collections
· Museum & Art Galleries of the Northern Territory,
Darwin, Australia
· National Gallery of Australia
· Art Gallery of New South Wales
Batik
·
The Robert Holmes a Court Collection, WA, Australia depicted in a book
entitled Utopia – A Picture Story
· National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.