Der Künstler Walangari Karntawarra, Urenkel von des berühmten Albert Namatjira, wurde 1961 in Alice Springs - NT- geboren. Inspiriert zu malen wurde er von seinem Großvater, dem bekannten Clifford Possum. Seine Gemälde erzählen uns mit der für den Western Desert signifikanten Ikonographie über jahrtausendealte Geschichten seiner Leute, sind aber durch seinen Einsatz der Farben und einzigartigen Effekten unvergleichbar und absolut bestechend. Walangari Karntawarra nutzt seine Gemälde als Mittel zur kulturellen Kommunikation.
Walangari hat viele leitende Positionen in verschiedenen von Ureinwohnern geführten Organisationen besetzt. Er war Vorsitzender der CAAMA (Central Australian Aborigine-Media Association), der ersten Aborigine-Radio-Station. Weiterhin hat der den ersten Aborigine-Fernsehsender, Imparja, geleitet. Ein Cross Cultural Seminar, dass von Walangari entworfen und am Institute of Aboriginal Development in Alice Springs durchgeführt wurde hatte einen durchschlagenden Erfolg und wurde von vielen ausländischen und lokalen Fachleuten und Studenten besucht.
Insofern sind es nicht nur die Gemälde von Walangari, die uns so faszinieren, sondern insbesondere der Mensch der dahinter steht - eine schillernde Persönlichkeit ausgestattet mit vielen Talenten. Er ist Künstler, Kulturvermittler, Lehrer und begnadeter Musiker und Tänzer.
Er setzt sich für die Verbesserung der Lebensumstände und der Belange seines Volkes ein und versucht sicherzustellen, dass die Stimme der Ureinwohner Australiens weltweit zu hören ist.

Es ist uns eine besondere Ehre die Gemälde von Walangari Karntawarra zeigen zu können.

 

 

Seine Werke befinden sich heute in folgenden Sammlungen:

Australian National Gallery, Canberra
Stuttgart Museum, Germany
Costello Collection, Sydney
Kneed-McDaid Collection, Sydney
Jagamarra Collection, Sydney
Mural, University of NSW, Sydney
Coomalie Cultural Centre, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, Northern Territory

Das Australian Museum dokumentierte Walangari's Leben in der für die Ausstellung "Living Colour" produzierten CD-Rom im März 2000.

 

WALANGARI WANGARDI KARNTAWARRA JAKAMARRA, also known as COLIN MCCORMACK, was born in Alice Springs in 1961.

He is of the Arrernte, Luritja, Walpiri, Yankuntjatjarra, Pintubi, Anmatjerre and Alyawarre peoples of the Central and Western Desert.

Walangari has held many executive positions and directorships of various Aboriginal Councils. He chaired CAAMA (the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association), the first Aboriginal owned radio station and was a director of the first Aboriginal television station, Imparja. He is committed to improving the lot of his people and helping ensure that the voice of Aboriginal Australia is heard.

He has Bachelor of Arts and  Bachelor of Education degrees and an Associate Diploma of Aboriginal Education.

Walangari has designed and conducted his own very successful cross-cultural course at the Institute of Aboriginal Development in Alice Springs. The course was attended by many overseas and local professionals and students.

Like the course, Walangari sees his paintings as a form of communication between cultures.

Walangari is multi talented. He is a gifted musician and dancer, with a wonderful stage presence.

It was the legacy of his famous great-grandfather, Albert Namatjira and the inspiration of his grandfather Clifford Possum that encouraged him to paint.

While his paintings tell the traditional stories of his people and feature the iconography of the "Western Desert", Walangari uses a fuller colour spectrum and unique effects to forge a striking path within modern Aboriginal Art.
                                      
His paintings are widely acclaimed and he has exhibited extensively both in Australia and overseas.

In 1995 he painted the first prize for the inaugural Indigenous Surfing Competition sponsored by Billabong and Coca Cola.
                                              
Walangari's life and paintings have been featured in many TV programmes & publications, including the "International Artist" magazine.

The Australian Museum featured Walangari in the CD ROM that they produced as part of their "Living Colour" exhibition in March 2000.

He was commissioned to paint a work for the Rugby World Cup Paris Exhibition in 2003 and in the same year his work featured in the annual selling exhibition “Art Paris” in the Carrousel du Louvre.

The National Gallery of Australia has acquired one of his early works. 

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