Regina Karadada / Wandjina Rock Art (3A)

Regina Karadada was born in 1952 in Wyndham Hospital. She has lived in Kalumburu all her life. Kalumburu is an Aboriginal community set deep in the Wandjina spirit country, situated on the banks of the King Edward River and is the furthermost permanent settlement along the remote Kimberley coast in the north of Western Australia.

Regina is the eldest daughter of the late Rosie Karadada, a prominent artist and artefact maker. Rosie’s brother was senior artist and lawman Alex Mingelmanganu. Regina’s father Louis Karadada, and his brother Jack, were renowned artists and artefact makers also. Regina’s aunty is Lily Karadada, who is undoubtedly one of Australia’s most important contemporary aboriginal artists.

Regina went to school in Kalumburu where she excelled and spent her final year of school at St Bridgette’s College in Perth. After completing her eductation, Regina worked with the Catholic Church in Kalumburu assisting the nuns before taking a job at the school as a teacher’s assistant.

Regina never had children or married however she ‘grew up’ over 10 nieces and nephews (a common practice in Aboriginal culture) and is now herself a family matriarch.

Regina was inspired to start painting in the late 1980’s after years of watching and learning from her talented family. Regina paints the Wandjina and Gwion Gwion rock art which is abundant in her region on canvas and the highly sought after eucalyptus bark and is a clever artefact maker like her mother and father, her Uncle Jack and Aunt Lily.

Regina is highly involved with the very large Tourism venture at Truscott Air Base (her mother Rosie’s country) and is a wonderful ambassador for her people.

Regina has been included in exhibitions across Australia and continues to carry on the strong tradition of her famous and talented family.

Wandjinas are rain spirits and rain makers. They are from the Wunumbal, Worora and Nygarijin tribes. Each of these tribes have their own Wandjinas. Their eyes are like the cyclone. They don’t need a mouth because they are powerful and don’t need to say anything. If a white man have a Wandjina in their house, he must look at that Wandjina every day and that Wandjina will look after him. But they must believe in him. The lines around the head and dots means things like rain, clouds, lightning. The colours represent mother earth, clouds, sun, rains, plants and many many things……Regina Karadada, 2012