The World’s Local Fine Art

Lucky Morton Kngwarreye B. 1949

Ancient culture of 60 thousand years gave the World its most exciting Contemporary Art

Lucky Morton Kngwarreye is a dynamic force in Australian modern art, has been exhibiting since 1977. Lucky belongs to the family of renowned artists, her mother Mary Morton Kemarre 1931-2016 and father Billy Morton Petyarre (1920-2008). Audrey Morton Kngwarreye, Sarah Morton Kngwarreye and Ruby Morton Kngwarreye are her sisters. Katie Kemarre Emily Kame Kngwarreye is her aunt and Kudditji Kngwarreye is her uncle.

Lucky work is held in collections around the world including Spazio Pitti Arte Florence, Vlaams Eurospeech Holland, Conferentie centrum Brussels Belgium, Art Centre Meerzigt Zoetermeer Rotterdam, Vlaams Eurospeech Scotland, Cove Gallery Portland Oregon USA, Powerhouse Museum, Homes a Court Gallery Collection, Queensland Art Gallery and Museum Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.

Her state-of-the-art bird's-eye-view, modern, mysterious, mesmerizing landscapes have the sheer physical presence of much contemporary work of art and build up the topography of depth and space.
 

Lucky Morton
 Spinifex flowers MB031881
 Acrylic on linen
Size: 95 x 65 cm
Price: Enquire 

Lucky Morton
 Spinifex flowers MB031880
 Acrylic on linen
Size: 95 x 65 cm
Price: Enquire

Lucky Morton Kngwarreye biography

Powerhouse Museum  (Sydney)
National Gallery of Australia (Canberra)
Homes a Court Gallery and gallery Collection (Perth)
Queensland Art Gallery (Brisbane)
Museum & Art Gallery Northern Territory (Darwin)
Spazio Pitti Arte, Florence, Italy
Vlaams Eurospeech Holland
Conferentiecentrum Brussels Belgium
Art Centre Meerzigt Zoetermeer, Rotterdam, the Nerherlands
Vlaams Eurospeech Scotland
Art and Soul Gallery Nashville, Tennessee, USA
The Cove Gallery Portland Oregon, USA
Tennessee USA, Portland Art Museum
Gladstone Regional Art Gallery
Perc Tucker Regional Gallery
Noosa Regional Gallery
Cooloola Shire Public Gallery
Mbantua Museum Alice Springs
 private collections around the world

Lucky Kngwarreye Morton is a well-known aboriginal artist of the Anmatjerra Tribe, North East of Alice Springs, Utopia, Northern Territory. Lucky is the oldest daughter of Utopian artist Mary Morton Kemarre (1931-2016). Lucky spent her childhood years growing up around Kurrajong Camp in Utopia and MacDonnell Downs Station.

Lucky Morton also paints about the British arrival in a naive style with her sister Sarah Morton Kngwarreye.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

1989         Utopia Women’s Paintings, the First Works on Canvas, A Summer Project,
1988-89    S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
1990         Utopia- A Picture Story exhibition of 88 works on Silk the Holmes a Court; Collection by Utopia artists that toured Eire and Scotland,
1990         Balance 1990: views, visions, influences QAG, Brisbane,,
1991         The Eighth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin,
1991         Australian Perspecta, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney,
1998         Dreamings, Spazio Pitti Arte, Florence, Italy and
1988         Vlaams Eurospeech, Conferentiecentrum, Brussels, Belgium,
1998         Exhibition in Art Centre Meerzigt, Zoetermeer, the Netherlands,
1998         Art Gallery “Culture Store”, Rotterdam, the Nerherlands,
2002-2005 Regional Galleries Association of Queensland tour incorporating:
2002- Mid July 03 Queensland Museum for NAIDOC,
               Hervey Bay Regional Gallery,
               Gladstone Regional Art Gallery,
               Duaringa Shire Gallery,
               Perc Tucker Regional Gallery,
               Noosa Regional Gallery,
              Cooloola Shire Public Gallery.
2002       Mbantua Gallery – Art and Soul Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee, USA,
2002       Mbantua Gallery – The Cove Gallery’ Portland, Oregon USA, (Benefit – OHSU Heart Research Centre),
2002       Mbantua Gallery – Urban Wine Works, Portland, Oregon USA, (Benefit – OHSU Heart Research Centre),
2002       Mbantua Gallery – Mary’s Woods, Portland, Oregon USA, (Benefit – OHSU Heart Research Centre),
2002       Mbantua Gallery – New City Merchants, Knoxville, Tennessee USA,
2003       Mbantua Gallery – Art and Soul Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee USA,
2003       Mbantua Gallery – ‘The Cove Gallery’ Portland, Oregon USA, (Benefit – OHSU Heart Research Centre),
2003       Mbantua Gallery – Contemporary Aboriginal Art Event, Umpqua Bank, Portland, Oregon USA Benefit OHSU Heart Research Centre
2003       Mbantua Gallery - Mary’s Woods, Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon USA, Benefit OHSU Heart Research Centre
2003       Mbantua Gallery – Art from the Dreamtime, Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon USA (Benefit – OHSU Heart Research Centre),
2004       Feb  ‘Last of the 20th Century’. Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs,
2003       Nov - Feb 04 National Museum of Australia, Canberra
2004       Aug-Sep Mbantua Gallery USA exhibition; Greenwich, Connecticut,
2004-2006   Evolution of Utopia, Mbantua Gallery Cultural Museum, Alice Springs,
2005     May-June ‘Small Wonders’ Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, Australian Northern Territory

BUSH FLOWER - spinifex & MULGA flowers

Utopia has an extreme desert climate. The summer is hot with temperatures often exceeding forty degrees Celsius. In winter the nights are freezing cold and frosts occur from June to August, periods of drought in the outback are common.

During the droughts vegetation is sparse and only spinifex and mulga shrubs subsist, though they appear lifeless. The rest of the flora lays dormant in anticipation of the cyclic deluge (dry cycles are known to have continued for up to a decade and longer).

After the infrequent rain the desert landscape is transformed. The dried out spinifex flower resemble a field of wheat and the mulga shrub bears green dense foliage and masses of bright yellow flowers. Growing amongst these plants is an abundance of wildflowers that turns the deep red coloured desert floor into a utopian garden. In her paintings, the artist pays homage to the spirit of the flowers. The transformation of the land means new growth and regeneration. Thus the renewal of the bush tucker so necessary for survival. Lucky paints and also works with wood sculpture, she travel for exhibitions featuring her work.

"Aboriginal Artists of the Western Desert - A Biographical Dictionary" by Vivien Johnson, published by Craftsman House 1994,
"The Oxford Companion to Aboriginal Art and Culture" edited by Sylvia Kleinert and Margo Neale published by OUP 2000,
“Australian Aboriginal Artist Encyclopedia” – dictionary of biographies” Kreczmanski, Janusz B & Birnberg, Margo (eds.): Aboriginal Artists: Dictionary of Biographies: Central Desert, Western Desert & Kimberley Region (JB Publishing Australia, Marleston, 2004). Brody, A. 1989 Utopia women’s Paintings: the First Works on Canvas, A summer Project, 1988-89 exhib. Cat. Heytesbury Holdings, Perth Brody, A. 1990 Utopia, a picture Story, 88 Silk Batiks from the Robert Homes a Court Gallery and gallery Collection, Heytesbury Holdings LTD Perth NATSIVAD database.

women stories

Lucky depicts "Awelye" the ceremonial body paint design associated with her country Ngkwarlerlaneme.

Aboriginal Women apply body paint with a tool that is flat soft padding stick called (typale) like a Makeup brush. They paint their designs on the faces and also, used the body paint, on Women chest, breasts, arms as well as their thighs. Each woman can play a makeup Artist and takes her turn to be “painted-up”.

During the Ceremony Aboriginal Women sing the songs associated with their (awely).  

Women perform (awely) ceremonies to feel good and to demonstrate respect for themselves, their country and the total well-being and health of the community as well as their own.

The widely advertised the natural Mineral Makeup was used by Aboriginal women for over 6000 years in women ceremony and the designs of body paint (awely). In 'white' language Aboriginal women apply makeup.

Aboriginal Women manufacturer their own natural cosmetic products. Their cosmetics are the colored products intended to alter women appearance are are decorative cosmetics.

In Europe Cosmetics have been in use for thousands of years using ceruse (white lead), to cover the face during the Renaissance, (blindness caused by the mascara Lash Lure during the early 20th century). Romans and Ancient Egyptians used cosmetics containing poisonous mercury and often lead. However Aboriginal Women Cosmetics include only natural earth grounded Powders (red and yellow clays (ochre ), charcoal and Ash.

Aboriginal Woman have been applying natural grounded earth powders that our culture named cosmetic makeup. However the first archaeological evidence of cosmetics usage was found in Egypt around 3500 BC during the Ancient Egypt times with some of royalty owning make-up, such as Nefertiti, Nefertari, mask of Tutankhamun.

In Europe in the Middle Ages women like a pale-skinned complexion, which was achieved through either applying pastes of lead, chalk, or flour, or by bloodletting, also put white lead pigment that was known as ceruse (white lead) on their faces to appear to have pale skin. Cosmetic use was frowned upon at many points in Western history.

For example, in the 19th century, make-up was used primarily by prostitutes, and Queen Victoria publicly declared makeup improper, vulgar, and acceptable only for use by actors. European Women in the 19th century liked to be thought of as fragile ladies. They compared themselves to delicate flowers aimed always to look pale and interesting. Sometimes ladies discreetly used a little rouge on the cheeks, and used "belladonna" to dilate their eyes to make their eyes stand out more.

Make-up was frowned upon in general especially during the 1870s when social etiquette became more rigid. Actresses however were allowed to use make up and famous beauties such as Sarah Bernhardt and Lillie Langtry could be powdered.

Most cosmetic products available in the world were still either chemically dubious, or found in the kitchen amid food colorings, berries and beetroot. By the middle of the 20th century, cosmetics were in widespread use by women in nearly all industrial societies around the world.