Lily KAREDADA - Wandjina
ADG: 395
DescriptionWandjina, 1995 - Story of Painting
In Aboriginal mythology, the Wandjina are cloud and rain spirits. Lines or blocks of colour around the head of the Wandjina depict lightning, clouds or rain. Wandjina figures are found in the caves of the Kimberley region, Western Australia.
Lily (Mindindil) KAREDADA - Biography
Born c. 1921
Community Kalumburu
Country Prince Regent River Area, Kimberley, Western Australia
Language Wunanbul
Skin Jirrengger
Stories Wandjina, Bradshaw figures
Lily (Mindindil) KARADADA was born in the Prince Regent River area of Western Australia in 1921. From her father's country, Woombangowangoorr, she went with her mother and family to Mitchell Plateau. She married Jack Karadada and eventually settled in Kalumburu, where she still lives with her huge extended and very talented family.
Lily is one of Australia's most important living Aboriginal artists and her paintings are instantly recognisable. Lily paints Wandjina with varied totems, rain dotting, lightning (Black Wandjina), turtles, cave pools with bubbles.
AWARDS
In 2003 Lily was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal for her contribution to art.
EXHIBITIONS
1981 Die kunst der Australischen Ureinwohner lebt, Museum fur Volkerkunde, Leipzig, Staatliches Museum fur Volkerkunde, Dresden
1988 Karnta, Touring South-east Asia
1990 Balance, 1990 Brisbane
1991 Aboriginal Women's Exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales
1992 Broome Fringe Festival
1993 Images of Power, National Gallery of Victoria
1994 Power of the Land, Masterpieces of Aboriginal Art, National Gallery of Victoria
2003 Spirit Country, Matsunoyama, Hokkaido and Tokyo, Japan
2004 Aborigènes – les couleurs du Rêve, Muséum d'Histoire naturelle, Lyon, France
2005 PALS Art Exhibition, Wardarnji Aboriginal Cultural Celebration, Fremantle, WA
2006 Dreaming Their Way:Australian Aboriginal Women Painters, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington DC
2007 Back To The Board, Coo-ee Gallery, Sydney; Japingka Gallery, Fremantle
COLLECTIONS
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
Artbank, Sydney
Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide
The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica USA
Berndt Museum of Anthropology, University of Western Australia
Christensen Collection, Museum of Victoria
Hank Ebes Collection, Victoria
