Joy Kngwarreye Jones Biography and CV

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Joy Kngwarreye Jones paints exquisite abstract interpretations of her flowers at Enteebra. Born in 1961 on MacDonald Downs Station, northeast of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Joy Kngwarreye Jones now lives on an outstation at the northern end of Utopia. She is the youngest talent to emerge from a family of prominent artists, including her adopted sister, the celebrated Emily Kame Kngwarreye; her eldest sister, Lily Sandover Kngwarreye; and her brother, Freddy Kngwarreye Jones.

Joy Kngwarreye Jones, like her elder sister Lily Sandover Kngwarreye (deceased), is the daughter of Jacob Jones, a senior lawman of the Alyawarre tribe on Utopia. Alyawarre country stretches from Utopia to Lake Nash on the Queensland border and is bigger than some European countries.

Joy started her artistic practice applying batik on cotton, then moved to silk in 1977 with approximately 80 people at Utopia after being inspired, taught and encouraged by Jenny Green and later Julia Murray. The Holts purchased some of Joy’s beautiful silk scarves from Jenny and Julia.

In April 1989, Joy, Lily and Emily were amongst the first to request art materials from the Holt family at Delmore, which was soon to become Delmore Gallery. Their initial paintings were on 'art boards’ then, the Holts supplied the artists, including Joy, with Belgian linen, acrylic paint and brushes. Joy participated in the early Utopia art movement of 1989, with the exhibition Utopia Women’s Paintings, the first works on canvas, A Summer Project. Joy painted continuously for Delmore, evolving through several styles. Joy’s sister Lily had a great influence on her, encouraging her to persevere in expressing her Dreaming through her art.

Joy’s confidence has grown immensely over this time, leading to the production of an interesting body of work. With this growth, her interpretive skills have come to represent a truly engaging, profoundly beautiful and often magical exploration of her ceremonial traditions.

Joy’s work can be seen in notable collections both nationally and internationally, including The Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia and the Aboriginal Art Museum, The Netherlands and the Holmes a Court Collection, Western Australia.

 

COLLECTIONS

Aboriginal Art Museum, The Netherlands
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
Robert Holmes à Court Collection, Perth
 

EXHIBITIONS

2017  Sacred Marks, JGM Gallery, London, U.K.
2017  Utopia: the artists of Delmore Downs, Yaama Ganu Gallery, Moree
2012  Exploring Oceania, Milan, Italy
2011  Without Pier Gallery Cheltenham, Melbourne
2011  Ninbella PN/P Exhibition, Florence, Italy
2008  From the Desert to the Sea, Yurlunggar Art, Brisbane
2008  Power of Place, Paintings and Sculpture from the Eastern Desert, Tandanya Aboriginal Cultural Institute
2007  Eastern Desert Song, Brush with Art Festival, Prairie Hotel, Parachilna
2007  Eastern Desert Dreaming, Artists from Utopia, GalleryG, Brisbane
2007  Patterns of Power, Art from the Eastern Desert, Simmer on the Bay, Sydney
2006  Senior Women of Utopia, GalleryG, Brisbane
1995  Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne
1992  Modern Art, Ancient Icon, The World Bank, Washington, USA
1990  Utopia, A Picture Story. Holmes à Court Collection, toured Ireland, Scotland
1989  Utopia Women’s Paintings, the First Works on Canvas, A Summer Project 1988-89, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Brody, Annemarie & Gooch, Rodney & Robert Holmes à Court Collection & CAAMA Shop (1990) Utopia: A Picture Story: 88 silk batiks from the Robert Holmes à Court Collection. Heytesbury Holdings Ltd. for the Robert Holmes à Court Collection, Perth, WA

• Brody, A. (1989) Utopia Women's Paintings: The First Works on Canvas: A Summer Project, Heytesbury Pty Ltd, Perth, WA