Atipalku INTJALKI - Silk Batik
ADG: 4880
DescriptionAtipalku INTJALKI
Hand made batik (wax resist and dyeing)
Silk, 90 x 90cm
Atipalku INTJALKI- Biography
Born 1955
Language Pitjantjatjara
Birthplace Near Ernabella, Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands
Region Western Desert, South Australia, Australia
Atipalku Intjalki is a respected Pitjantjatjara artist residing in the remote desert township of Ernabella. Atipalku was born in the bush near Ernabella, the youngest of three sisters and two brothers. She attended local school and joined the Ernabella Arts group in the last years of Ernabella Mission. Atipalku has four children, Langaliki, Jeffrey, Lynette and Michelle.
Atipalku is well known for her batik textiles, adapting the distinctive Ernabellaku walka (a fluid, curvilinear, abstract form) in to her batik designs on fabric. Her works are inspired by the natural environment, celebrating various plants and bush foods as they come in to season.
Atipalku participated in the Shift Textile Symposium at Canberra in 1997 and exhibited widely in Canberra during this time. In 1995 and 1996 Atipalku’s works were exhibited in the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards art exhibition held in Darwin. Atipalku daughters- Langaliki (b. 1973), Lynette (b. 1979) and Michelle (b.1983) also work in the medium of batik. Atipalku's work was exhibited in Poland and London in 1998 and has been featured in numerous exhibitions throughout Australia.
Collections
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
National Museum of Australia, Canberra
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Ernabella Batik
Batik fabric design has been practiced at Ernabella Arts Inc. since 1971. Each work is hand drawn using hot wax, a wax resist process that prevents the dye from reaching the waxed area. Batik takes skill and patience with each colour dyed separately.
Each textile is unique, has been hand batiked or hand painted and represents design elements of the desert landscape which are important to the artist.
The textiles produced at Ernabella include magnificent long silk lengths, paintings/wall hangings and scarves.
Ernabella batik is held in private collections, and public galleries and museums throughout the world.