Queenie McKenzie

, Also called Queenie Queenie McKenzie McKenzie Nakarra, ( born 1930 in Old Texas Station, on the western Ord River in the eastern Kimberley, † November 1998) was the first known and recognized Aboriginal painter of the East Kimberley School in Australia.

Life

Her mother Old Dinah was an Aborigine of Malngin and Gurindji; her father was Pferdzureiter. As she grew up with the Giya strain Aboriginal Giya was their first language. Her father wanted to give away as a baby, but her mother refused. When the Old Texas Station, where she lived, was destroyed by a flood, she came to New Texas Downs Station, which is located on the Turkey River. Several times the police wanted to remove them there in her family, but her mother always knew this to be prevented. There Queenie befriended Rover Thomas with the painter, whom she saved his life in an accident, where she later married. She had no children, but is said to have always taken care of other children who were threatening left alone to go. She was forty years the cook of the drovers of the New Texas Downs until they change in 1973 in the Warmun community, where she saw paint artist and decided to do this yourself.

It was considered a strong personality, a preserver and teacher of Giya language and she sat committed to the restitution of the land to Aboriginal people a. She lived her life according to the ceremonies, who claimed the Aboriginal traditions.

Work

Queenie was the first woman who was known for the painting school of the eastern Kimberley. She was inspired by Rover Thomas. She used natural pigments in different colors that were ground by itself. Your pictures were always connected to the landscape of the Kimberley and painted on monochrome background. She showed it beyond events, traditional and current stories that were underlaid with mythological information. She used this like simple and clear forms. Queenie McKenzie's images reflect the struggle for the rights and culture of the eastern Kimberley.

She was involved particularly strong in the 1980s to actually share their cultural and professional knowledge to the women and adolescent painters. She was instrumental in helping that the Art Centre for Giya Artists could be built in the Warmun Community by the year 1988. Your recognition can also be concluded from the fact that they had several nicknames: Mingmarriya ( German: Limestone country), because of their light skin, and Garagarag, because of her blonde hair.

A few months after her death, she was honored for her life and work entitled "Living Treasure".