Paja Jirrgu Wanti (Big Mob of Birds)
Solo Exhibition by Nyangulya Katie Nalgood in association with Spinifex Hill Studio
At some time we have found ourselves gazing at birds. Whether they are gliding effortlessly on thermals, splashing in a pond or playing amongst the trees, our world stops, ever so briefly, while we become transfixed on these intriguing creatures. Nyangulya Katie Nalgood has adored birds for as long as she can remember; ‘‘Cheeping all day long, talking all day long. Talking about the waterhole nearby, happy little birds. We used to watch them all day long’.
Later in life Katie expressed that love through painting. Depicting her beloved birds through a joyful palette, with thick acrylic brushstrokes on canvas, Katie says she simply paints what she sees. “I see them in photographs and from my house. Birds are very colorful –I have to paint what color they are. This makes me happy.”
In this unique exhibition, Katie has fused her love for the birds with her love of family by matching the personalities of birds with those of family members. Cheeky and perhaps a little audacious, Katie’s ability to anthropomorphise family, demonstrates her wonderful sense of humour; both astute and gorgeously funny.
