Janet Golder Kngwarreye

Janet Golder Kngwarreye was born on 15th November 1973, and is the daughter of
Margaret Golder and Sammy Pitjara. Janet is an Anmatyerre woman from the Utopia region in Central Australia, growing up at Mulga Bore surrounded by her family and kin. Utopia is renowned for its development and nurturing of extremely talented Aboriginal artists, including Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Janet’s grandfather is Old Henry Pitjara, and her grandmothers include Angelina Ngale and Polly Ngale, both of whom are notable artists.
Her uncle is Greeny Purvis Petyarre (d. 2010), also a talented and well-known collectable artist.
Janet began painting in 1997 and was taught the skills of art depiction by her family. She is married to fellow artist Ronnie Bird Jungala who is the grandson of famous Petyarre Sister, Ada Bird Petyarre (d. 2010). Together, Janet and Ronnie have four children.
Janet is an emerging artist who demonstrates profound talent, predominantly depicting “Awelye” or ceremonial body paint using fine dot work and linear patterns. Central Art has some bright and colourful examples of her “Awelye” designs which she painted between 2003 and 2008. She is known for her depictions of Bush Medicine, depicting the leaves of particular plants found in Central Australia which contain medicinal properties. Traditionally
women would gather the leaves, boil them, and add a resin, creating a treatment for a variety of ailments. Both men and women have important roles to play within the
community as healers. Janet also has the appropriate cultural knowledge and permission to depict the Dreamtime stories of the Mountain Devil Lizard and Emu.
Her artworks are colourful and creative, adding her own personal touch to these Dreamtime stories which have become famous by Utopian artists since the 1980’s during the Utopian art movement. Through her work with several art galleries around Australia, Janet has participated in several overseas group exhibitions and some of her artwork is held in the Mbantua Gallery’s permanent collection.

COLLECTIONS
Mbantua Gallery Permanent Collection

EXHIBITIONS
2008, “A Women’s Exhibition”, Red Rock Gallery, Beijing, China.
2008, “2nd Gallery Opening”, Red Rock Gallery, Beijing, China.
2004, Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions, Knoxville & Tennessee, USA.
2003, Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions, Knoxville, Nashville & Portland, USA.
2002, Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions, Knoxville, Nashville & Portland, USA