Please note: The image of the artist with the work is Lily Karadada, who delivered the artwork to the gallery from Kalumburu on behalf of her Sister-In-Law Rosie
ARTIST PROFILE
Rosie Karadada
Born in Kalumburu (c.1927 – 2008), Rosie Karadada was a Senior Artist noted for her depiction of the Wandjina rain spirit figures which appear in the rock art in her home country. Her works have been exhibited widely and are represented in most major collections in Australia. Rosie was a member of the famous Karadada artistic family, and was married to Louis Karadada, another celebrated artist from the same community. Rosie was the sister-in-law of Jack Karadada and his wife Lily Karadada, the most famous of the Wandjina painters.
Rosie’s painting style differed from that of the other Wandjina artists. She sketched the Wandjina Rain God and invariably included Gwion (Bradshaw) figures, men’s hunting implements, and a variety of bush tucker and animals. Her distinctive fee-hand drawings in strong yet naïve style reflected her character. Rosie was always laughing, or rather giggling, blessed with a shy yet infectiously happy nature. The tonal contrasts of her rock art themes give her works a characteristic brightness. The imagery is simple and often painted decisively with bold outlines. Rosie participated in many print-making workshops with Louis and Lily.
Selected Exhibitions
• 1991 Aboriginal Women’s Exhibition, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
• 1992 Broome Fringe Festival, Broome
• 1993 Images of Power, Aboriginal Art of the Kimberley, National Gallery of Victoria
Selected Collections
• Artbank, Sydney
• Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
• National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
• The Holmes a Court Collection, Perth