Abie Loy Kemarre

Meet this world-renowned Aboriginal painter whose work entered the collections of the Metropolitan Museum in 2018.

Worthy heiress of a renowned family of painters

Abie Loy Kemarre, born in 1972, is the worthy heir of her grandmother Kathleen Petyarre and her great-aunt Gloria Petyarre.

Initiated since childhood by the latter to the myths of the clan and the technique of acrylic on canvas, Abie Loy Kemarre quickly developed her own style, all in meticulousness and flexibility. As a result, she has been able to distinguish herself from her two foremothers in the Australian and international art market.

Indeed, the vibrant, hypnotic and even kinetic character of her works has made her stand out among Aboriginal artists and has inscribed her name in the pantheon of Australian contemporary artists.

However, she remains faithful to the ancestral tradition of the Aborigines, for whom movement and more particularly the vibratory rendering of their works is the tangible manifestation of the presence of the ancestors in our present world.

Thanks to her technical mastery – she paints with twigs or beveled sticks – her inventiveness and her scrupulous observance of Anmatyerre laws, Abie Loy Kemarre’s paintings owe their aesthetic qualities to her rigorous work and the delicacy of her details.

Selection of six paintings by the artist

Bush Medecine Leaves

Acrylic on linen canvas
60 x 60 cm – 2 400€

BUSH MEDECINE LEAVES

THE MYTH OF THE MEDICINAL LEAVES OF THE BUSH

ORIGINS AND TRANSMISSION

Gloria Petyarre is the Aboriginal artist who originally developed the style and representation of this Aboriginal myth passed down from generation to generation. She represents the awakening of the Flora in the Dreamtime and pays homage to the medicinal properties of the bush plants. Her niece-disciple Abie Loy Kemarre has transcended both the technique and the poetry initially infused by her aunt in her paintings.

TECHNIQUE

Like many Aboriginal women, Abie Loy Kemarre also learned the batik technique, which she uses in her work. By rigorously applying the paint with a twig or a beveled brush, she brings to life the eucalyptus and acacia leaves. She uses a wide range of colors to evoke the changing tones of the leaves throughout the seasons.

With their graphic and poetic style, Abie Loy Kemarre’s works fascinate collectors. Her work has become a reference and her paintings are among the most sought after on the Aboriginal art market.

A striking work!

The captivating and hypnotic nature of her paintings makes Abie Loy Kemarre a leader in the third generation of Utopia’s women painters.

By infusing her work with a deep and vibrant energy, she invites the viewer to take part in the celebrations she portrays.

Awards received by this artist

2001. Finalist, 18th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Darwin (Australia)

1997. Finalist, 14th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Darwin (Australia)

In addition, Abie has twice been a finalist for the Telstra Award (in 1997 and 2001) and in 2005, one of her paintings (122 x 122 cm) was sold for AU$18,000 at the Lawson~Menzies auction in Sydney.

A worldwide reputation

Abie Loy Kemarre has had many successes in Australia (Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne or Sydney) but also in the United States, Indonesia or in Europe (Germany, Spain, France).

Her work Bush Leaf Dreaming was published on the cover of the Musée des Confluences de Lyon’s book to publish its collection of Aboriginal art.

Her works are present in many collections:

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (États-Unis)
Musée des Confluences, Lyon (France)
Collection d’art de l’Université d’Adélaïde, Adélaïde (Australie)
Art Gallery of South Australia Adelaïde (Australie)
Bridgestone Museum of Art, Tokyo (Japon)

Collection Kerry Stokes, Perth (Australie)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (Australie)
Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica (États-Unis)
Collection Levi-Kaplan, Seattle (États-Unis)
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Commission Collection (Australie)
Collection de la Fondation du Festival des Arts, Adélaïde (Australie)

Her works are present in many collections:

Main solo and group exhibitions:

2021.
– Top 20 2021, Art Mob, Hobart (Australie)
– ” Big Names Little Paintings “, Cooee Art Gallery, Sydney (Australie)

2020.
– Sounds of Summer “, Galerie Japingka, Perth (Australie).
– Exposition Top 20 “, Art Mob, Hobart (Australie)
– Beyond Time, Australian Aboriginal Art “, Booker Lowe Gallery, Houston (Etats-Unis).

2019.
– ” Defining tradition | black + white “, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney (Australie)

2018.
– ” My Country “, Salt, Queenscliff, VIC (Australie)

2017.
– On Country : Australian Aboriginal Art from the Kaplan-Levi Gift “, Metropolitan Museum of Contemporary Art, New York (États-Unis).

2015.
– ” Inspiration Batik “, DZ Galerie Paris (France)
– ” Vibrations : au cœur de l’art aborigène ” Arts d’Australie, ACABAS, Paris (France).
– Singapore Art Fair, DZ Galerie (Singapour)
– Les Flâneries d’Art Contemporain en jardin aixois “, Aix-en-Provence (France)
– ” Ancestral Modern Australian Aboriginal Art from the Kaplan & Levi Collection “, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle (États-Unis)

2010.
– Art aborigène australien contemporain : From the Collection of Margaret Levi and Robert Kaplan “, Washington State University Museum, Pullman Washington (États-Unis)

– « Grand Nord-Grand Sud. Artistes Inuits et Aborigènes », Abbaye de Daoulas, Bretagne (France)
– « Desert Art », Gadfly Gallery, Perth (Australie)

2009.
– Lands of Enchantment, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington (États-Unis).
– ” Créations contemporaines aborigènes “, Musée des Confluences, Lyon (France)

2008.
– Emily Kngwarreye et son héritage, Art Front Gallery, Tokyo (Japon).
– Black and White – an exhibition of Aboriginal works, NG Art Gallery Sydney (Australie).

2007.
– ” Desert Dreamscapes “, Holter Museum, Helena Montana (États-Unis)

2006.
– Prism, Contemporary Australian Art, Bridgestone Museum, Tokyo (Japon).
– Dreaming Their Way : Australian Aboriginal Women Painters “, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington (États-Unis).

2005.
– Vision aborigène dans l’art australien contemporain, Levi – Collection Kaplan “, The Wright Exhibition Centre, Seattle (États-Unis).

2003.
– Art Miami (États-Unis)
2000. Gallerie Australis, Adelaïde (Australie)

1999.
– North by North East, Landscape & Ceremonial paintings from Utopia “, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne (Australie)