Edie and Her Daughters

Edie Kemarre Holmes was born near the mining town of Hatches Creek, Northern Territory, where she was raised with her four brothers and her sister. She enjoys life at Ampilatwatja with her children and grandchildren and paints at the art centre alongside her daughters Joyrene Ngwarraye Holmes and Alana Ngwarraye Holmes, who are also both talented and well respected artists. Art, country and culture are all essential to their way of life in Ampilatwatja.

“My fathers’ country is Antarrengeny; my mothers’ country is Akwerantye. We paint because we enjoy it.” Edie paints her country, “Apmer Mwerrangker”, meaning beautiful country.

“If I’m not painting, I like to go hunting for goanna and bush potato. I hope in the future, I can just keep going around here.”

Edie has continued to develop her own style, and she is easily recognised by her ghost gum trees and fine dot work. She was also one of the original artists in the Utopian Batik movement in the 1980’s.

Edie, Alana and Joyrene depict Antarrengeny, “when there has been no rain and the land shimmers like jewels. It is the open flat country, after a bushfire, when only the young grasses and the trees are growing and where there is good hunting.” as Edie so beautifully describes it.

The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories sit. Antarrengeny is Edie’s country and also her Father’s.