Joyreen Holmes Kngwarrey

Born in 1977 at Honeymoon Bore, Joyreen Holmes Kngwarrey comes from a family of artists. She has two sisters, Alana and Sarina, and a brother, Stevie. Speaking of her artistic practice, she says:

“My father’s country is Ampilatwatja. My mother’s country is Antarrengeny. I paint because I enjoy it, sitting around and talking. I like painting landscapes in the colours green, white, yellow, burnt amber, and red. When we’re not painting or working, we go hunting—for honey ants and bush potatoes. In the future, I just want to keep looking after my kids.”

Most residents of Ampilatwatja belong to the Alyawarr language group, whose traditional lands span approximately 17,000 square kilometres. This vast country includes the pastoral properties of Ammaroo, Murray Downs, Elkedra, Derry Downs, Utopia, Lake Nash, and Urandangie. Unlike many other Central Australian clans, the Alyawarr people have never been forcibly removed from their ancestral lands. They were never relocated to ‘foreign’ country, where they would have lacked traditional knowledge and cultural ties. As a result, their connection to the land remains unbroken, and their cultural knowledge is preserved in its full depth and richness.