Lily Karadada / Rainmaker Wandjina (LK04-N)

Lily was born Prince Regent River area c. 1921.  From her father’s country, Woombangowangoorr, she went with her mother and family to Mitchell Plateau.  She married Jack Karadada and eventually settled in Kalumburu where she lived with her huge extended and very talented family.

Lily is one of Australia’s most important contemporary aboriginal artists.  Whilst she varies her subject matter, she has never compromised on style.  Lily’s paintings are instantly recognisable.  Lily paints Wandjina – with varied totems, rain dotting, lightning (Black Wandjina), turtles, cave pools with bubbles – all different but all Lily Karadada.

Lily was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal for Contribution to Art in 2003.

A lovely lady, with a wonderful, infectious laugh – once met, never forgotten.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

1981
– Art of the Australian Aborigine, Museum fur Volkerkunde, Leipzig, Dresden, Germany

1988
– Karnta, Touring South-east Asia

1990
– Balance, Brisbane

1991
– Aboriginal Women’s Exhibition, Art Gallery of NSW

1992
– Broome Fringe Festival

1993
– Images of Power, National Gallery of Victoria

1994
– Power of the Land, Masterpieces of Aboriginal Art, National Gallery of Victoria

2003
– “Spirit Country”, Matsunoyama, Hokkaido and Tokyo, Japan

2004
– “Aborigènes – les couleurs du Rêve”, Muséum d’Histoire naturelle, Lyon, France

2005
– PALS Art Exhibition, Wardarnji Aboriginal Cultural Celebration, Fremantle

2006
– Dreaming Their Way:Australian Aboriginal Women Painters, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington DC

2007
– Back To The Board, Coo-ee Gallery, Sydney
– Japingka Gallery, Fremantle

SELECTED COLLECTIONS
– Artbank, Sydney
– Queensland Art Gallery
– Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica USA
– Berndt Museum of Anthropology, University of W.A.
– Hank Ebes Collection, Victoria
– Art Gallery of South Australia
– Christensen Collection, in situ Museum of Victoria
– Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide
– National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

I’ve painted Wandjina as it is in the caves in my country. Those caves are very wet, with water bubbling up everywhere – that’s the name my father gave me – my bush name – Mindindil – that means bubbles. These Rainmaker send down rain to make everything grow – she has no mouth, but when you go into her caves you can hear her whispering (we think this would be the wind in the caves). Lots of cave rocks round this place.