Past Exhibitions
New Paintings
Geoffrey de Groen’s first selling exhibition in Canberra for thirteen years follows his critically acclaimed exhibitions at the Drill Hall Gallery and Annandale Galleries in 2011.
Geoffrey’s association with Canberra dates back four decades when he commenced teaching at the Canberra School of Art. For the last twenty years he has devoted himself to the essential nature of painting in his studio in the village of Taralga atop the Great Dividing Range.
New Paintings includes the most recent works in de Groen’s richly rewarding exploration.
Mimili Maku
Kurngkarrakalpa Seven Sisters
Bird Park (click here to see exhibition)
Tjungu Palya Masterpieces
Recent Paintings
Geoffrey Bardon, the idealistic schoolteacher driving in his Combi to the western desert of Papunya in 1971, has become folkloric in the history of Australian art. The story of those early artists and Bardon can almost be said to have taken on the characteristics of a dreaming.
This exhibition is inspired by the early boards created by Kappa Tjampitjinpa, Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri, Uta Uta Tjang ala, Anatjari Tjakamarra and others, under the auspices of Bardon’s residency at Papunya Tula.
Chapman Gallery presents a selection of recent paintings from Papunya Tula Artists all measuring 91 x 61 centimetres. Echoing the original boards diminutive size, they are powerful expressions of the exceptionally strong painting tradition at Kintore and Kiwirrkurra, which continues today.
Featuring the work of the following artists, this is a wonderful opportunity to have a little piece of the western desert.
Kutungka Napanangka
George Tjungarrayi
Johnny Yungut Tjupurrula
George Ward Tjungurrayi
Matthew West Tjupurrula
Joseph Jurra Tjapaltjarri
Lorna Brown Napanangka
Charlie Tjapangati
Eileen Napaltjarri
Ronnie Tjampitjinpa
Wintjiya Napaltjarri
Josephine Napurrula
Kawayi Nampitjinpa
Narrabri Nakamarra
Tjunkiya Napaltjarri
Debra Nakamarra
Ningura Napurrula
Irene Nangala
Hilary Tjapaltjarri
Makinti Napanangka
Danny Gibson Tjapaltjarri
Women and Colour
Women artists such as Nyankulya Watson, Monica Puntjina Watson, Angampa Martin, and Molly Miller are building a reputation for their successful use of bold and unusual colours. The delicate layering of Angampa Martin contrasts with the striking and whimsical figurative work of Nyanu Watson and the unusual semi abstract forms of Miller’s paintings.
Featured in the current Desert Country exhibition, at the Art Gallery of South Australia, women artists are coming out from the creative shadow thrown by senior male artists, Jimmy Donegan, winner of the overall Telstra Prize in 2010, and the popular and distinctive Harry Tjutjuna with his loose and joyous style.
The central dreaming story of this area comes from the Ninu Tjukurpa or ‘bilby’ songline that passes through the community in South Australia where the art centre is based. The centre is backed by the black granite mountain of Kalka, which overlooks the plains and valley of Tilun Tilun in the Tomkinson ranges.
Not only are the artists of Ninuku preserving their stories and sharing their culture, they are realising their potential in what has become the ‘colour revolution’ of the APY lands.
All in stillness stands
Art to me is an anecdote of the spirit, and the only means of making concrete the purpose of its varied quickness and stillness.
Mark Rothko
Through return to simple living comes control of desires. In control of desires stillness is attained. In stillness the world is restored.
Lao Tzu
The content of these paintings for the most part are based upon an exploration of a small number of private gardens in Norfolk, which I visited in June 2008. The exhibition also incorporates my painted response to the sepia photographs of Parisian gardens by the French photographer Eugene Atget from the early 1900’s.
I have not set out to portray an in depth understanding of the English garden per se. The gardens that I visited offered me the chance to explore themes that are always present in my work: Light, Earth, Sky and Water. It was with intense fascination that I was able to observe, absorb and note down the alluring atmospheres and stillness of these remarkable gardens.This invaluable experience has touched upon a place in the self that is brimming with the abundance of nature’s ever present renewing energy.
I hope the paintings speak of this place.
Jill Kempson September 2010
Is landscape painting meaningful today? Since its beginning it has had to struggle for legitimacy in the hierarchy of the painting genres. In the sixteenth century, Italian artists imposed the representation of the human figure as the highest achievement for every painter. Consequently, history painting - that is, works depicting scenes from religion, mythology or historical events- was considered the most noble. More recently, the domination of ‘contemporary art’ in official circles presents a new challenge for painting in general and landscape painting in particular.
Jill Kempson’s oeuvre, in all its rich diversity, shows us that landscape painting has the capacity to express all the colours and dimensions of the human soul. Earth can be seen as representing stability, our roots; Water, serenity and peace; Sky, inspiration and hope; Light, the soul’s aspiration for infinity.
Patrick Le Chanu Jill Kempson’s Oeuvre: Landscape in Perspective
Translated by Karen Le Chanu.
Pulka. Important. New Paintings from Tjala Arts
The paintings that come from Tjala Arts relate to each individual artist’s interpretation of their environment, culture, memories and family histories and are at one and the same time a literal and metaphysical representation. In the words of artist Mary Pan ‘our art centre is pulka (important), a good story for us. We paint strong, paint stories about our country, culture and law, people buy our paintings, makes us happy’.
Chapman Gallery is very pleased to present this measured and beautiful exhibition of paintings from Tjala Arts.
The artists represented are:
Tjungkara Ken, Hector Burton, Wawiriya Burton, Ruby Williamson, Tjampawa Kawiny, Sylvia Ken, Mary Pan, Gail Napangati, Ray Ken, Freddy Ken, Iluwanti Ken, Nita Williamson, Brenton Ken, Katanari Tjilya and Tjimpayi Presley.
Surface of Our Dreaming (Warmun Art)
Chapman Gallery is pleased to showcase the exceptional ochre paintings from the artists of Warmun. This year the exhibition is solely by the women of Warmun and has been created by artists both established and emerging.
Coming from a place of cultural strength in the Kimberley, these paintings are made in the traditional manner; the artist’s hand collecting the pigments from their country and mixing the ochres themselves. The contrast between the thick grains of the ochre and the forms on the canvas is what imbues the Gija works with their unique style and surface texture.
The work of Warmun artists is in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, National Gallery of Victoria, Musee du Quai Branly, Kerry Stokes Collection, Parliament House Collection, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory and many more.
Artists featured in The Surface of Our Dreaming are Lena Nyadbi, Marlene Juli, Nancy Nodea, Marika Mung, Mabel Juli, Phyllis Thomas and Beryline Mung.
Dharri Wundangarryi
Elcho Island is a thin strip of land at the very top of Arnhem land stretching out into the Arafura Sea. Blue sky, endless panoramic ocean and wild seasons make the landscape striking and beautiful. As the landscape of the top end is so different to the desert and the more familiar landscape of the lower half of the continent; so too is the art from this area.
Morning Star Poles, Trees of Knowledge and Hollow Logs are the most recognisable artworks produced at the art centre on Elcho Island. This exhibitipon also features delicate paintings and Mokuy Spirit Carvings. The dreaming stories that inspire these artworks are evidence of the Yolngu people’s strong connection with their land and its beauty.
Morning Star
The Banumbirr (Venus) is very bright and tracks across the Arnhem Land sky, setting in the west just before dawn. At this time the light is changing rapidly. There is the darkness of the night, punctuated with the reflections of the Morning Star on leaves of the trees, together with the distant glow of the dawn and the fading of the other stars in the sky.
Chapman Gallery is pleased to present the first exhibition of scuplture and paintings from Elcho Island Arts in Canberra along with a very special presentation by Morning Star Pole custodian, Gali Yalkarriwuy Gurruwiwi at the opening on 26 March. Gali is in huge demand after winning the RAKA Award in 2008 and being a finalist in the Telstra Awards in 2009.
Walykumunu Palaynma
Like all practisingcontemporary Australian indigenous artists, those from the community at Papulankutjacreate their art in the space between the contemporary art market and the pullof the culture they represent. The tension between these forces makes for the spectacularand original paintings in this exhibition. The paintings reveal a deep andabiding respect for the land, the law and the dreaming- but are also triumphsof form, colour, line and dot.
Each artist has theirown method and style, their own filter for the telling of their stories.Narelle Holland’s paintings are delicate layers of dotting; Thomas Reid uses graphic imagery and Tjayanka Woods employs strong colours and organic forms.
There is aconversation occurring within these paintings that discusses not only what itis like to be an Indigenous Australian with something important to say, butalso what it is to be an artist practising today. Chapman Gallery is proud topresent each aspect of this compelling conversation in ‘Paint Right Way’.
Kutiputjaku Purti - Bush Tripping
