BINDI MEN – OUR DESERT STORIES

A group exhibition showcasing work by select men from the Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists art centre in Mparntwe (Alice Springs).

The exhibition features a collection of works that portray the essence, beauty and humour of life in Central Australia through the eyes of Charles Inkamala, Billy Kenda and Conway Ginger.

Charles Jangala Inkamala was born in 1968. His mother’s Country is Papunya and his father’s Country is Ntaria (Hermannsburg). Charles lives in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) and began painting with Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists in 2017.

He paints significant cultural sites such as Mt Sonder and Glen Helen Gorge in stylized detail. Charles meditates on his home Country as he paints and imbues his work with strong knowledge of and connection to land. His intricate line work captures the multitude of directions of the rock layers in this ancient land and conjures strong impressions of the shaping of this Country.

Echoes of Namatjira are evident in Charles’ water colour-esque application of acrylic paints, as well as his use of ultramarine blue. However, Charles’s playful use of depth sees this vivid hue being brought right to the forefront. Charles has also been experimenting with perspective in his works, combining aerial views with ground views in the one piece.

Prior to painting at Bindi, Charles primarily worked with graphite and coloured pencil, coloured markers and ball point pen. His work is fresh and exciting and he holds much potential as an emerging artist.

Billy Kenda started painting in the Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artist Studio in 2004. He primarily paints his Mother’s Country, Jay Creek, in the West Macdonnell Ranges, creating landscapes where the various textures and patterns of rocks and flora play against each other. Billy’s ability to evoke the beauty of the Central Desert in his paintings demonstrates his strong connection to the land.

Billy’s graphic style of painting has a sense of calm and balance within. Drawing inspiration from the increasing population and traffic within the Central Desert Region, Billy started adding trucks and cars to his textured landscapes in 2008. Soon after followed aeroplanes, helicopters and even the odd flying saucer, adding to the playful nature of his work. Interacting with these subjects are the animals that have always been there – the kangaroos, the emus, the lizards, the eagles. They look on from a perch on a rock or
from the shade of a tree; they flee from oncoming traffic. They function as observers and survivors of this changing place.

“I always see lotta cars, at Jay Creek, Hermannsburg road… That’s what I’m thinking about. I think about all them cars. I seen all them tourists driving through to Standley Chasm; stop out there, see them kangaroos – long time ago.”

Conway Ginger hails from Docker River and moved to Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in 2004. He is a passionate football supporter, music lover and an eager artist and joined the Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists in 2012. Conway’s lively sense of humour is evident in his artwork. Fresh and vivid lines communicate his passions and inspirations, drawn from everyday life.

Conway is known for his ink and wash works on paper which have been well-received in the Australian art world – their immediacy and honesty speaking to many. Since he began exhibiting in 2012, Conway has had many solo exhibitions and his works have featured in Art Collector and As We Are publications. It is an exciting time for Conway, whose expanding body of work progresses through new techniques and artistic mediums such as watercolours, fabric, textiles and print-making.