Kuddtji Kngwarreye
Kudditji frequently took the young boys/men hunting emu in these lands during his younger years, merging tradition with practice as part of their initiation as men. It is the land of this experience that he painted his ‘Emu Dreaming’ and his ‘My Country’ works.
Kudditji had participated in many international exhibitions and was known for depictions of his Dreaming’s, particularly those related to the law of the Emu ancestors.
When he began painting around 1986, he was encouraged to paint in the fashionable style of the time, executing works with detailed infill. Some years later he came to find his current style of abstract imagery, bold colour use and intuitive interplay with space and form.
Initially this style was not welcomed by galleries and for a time he returned to his (then) more successful traditional style of work. However, the artist’s voice was not to be denied for long, and he later resumed his exploration into the abstract and continued to follow his unique approach through his career.
