Josie Pitjara Kunoth

born 1957, Apungalindum (Pungalindum)

Senior Anmatyerr woman, Josie Pitjara Kunoth (sometimes Petyarr or Petyarre) shares story of her Country, Urlerrperl. An artist for more than 20 years, Josie has participated in group exhibitions in South Australia, Northern Territory, New South Wales, Queensland and the United Kingdom and was shortlisted for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) in 2008. She also won the painting category in the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize in 2010.

Of her practice, Josie says: "Me and my brothers and sisters. We lived at the station when we were young. Nothing left at Aniltji anyone. Everyone shifted away from that old country. Station now. Living bush close by. My aunty singing all the time. Walking in the bush.

No car. My aunty was getting everything, bush tomato, something, kangaroo, no worries. Young girls. We went with my
two sisters to Pigeon Bore. With our aunties Kathleen, Gloria and Emily. Lily Sandover too. We painted up for dancing. That old lady Emily she was singing. That old lady told me 'You sing this one. This is your country. Awelye. Alhalkere.'

We started doing batik first. Jenny Green and Julia Murray at homestead. At homestead and three bores and soakage later on.
We worked the whole lot. I was following my mum and my aunties too. Emily, my aunty, shifted to soakage. We were working there doing batik. No houses. Batik finished and then canvas. I was watching my aunties and mother.

I’m making my own style now. My way. Mwerr-way. I still sing. No one’s singing anymore but I’m singing my canvas."

AVAILABLE WORKS

  • Atnwelarr

    Atnwelarr

    Atnwelarr

    Josie Pitjara Kunoth
    152 x 102 cm
    $5,500 AUD
    $5,500 AUD
  • Atnwelarr

    Atnwelarr

    Atnwelarr

    Josie Pitjara Kunoth
    152 x 102 cm
    $5,500 AUD
    $5,500 AUD
  • Atnwelarr

    Atnwelarr

    Atnwelarr

    Josie Pitjara Kunoth
    153 x 305 cm
    $17,500 AUD
    $17,500 AUD
  • Atnwelarr

    Atnwelarr

    Atnwelarr

    Josie Pitjara Kunoth
    100 x 152 cm
    $5,500 AUD
    $5,500 AUD

CV

JOSIE PITJARA KUNOTH (Anmatyerr)
Born 1957, Apungalindum (Pungalindum)

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2026 Atnwelarr, Gallerysmith, Melbourne, Vic
2022 Josie Pitjara, RAFT Artspace, Alice Springs, NT
2015 Sweet Dreams, Mossenson Galleries, Subiaco, WA

CURATED EXHIBITIONS
2025 Too Deadly: Ten Years of Tarnanthi, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, SA
2025 Salon des Refuses, Outstation Gallery, Darwin, NT
2025 We Call it Urapuntja, JGM Gallery, London, UK
2025 Cross Traffic: Art from Ali Curung, Ampilatwatja, Tennant Creek & Utopia, Delmar Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2022 Living Water, RAFT Artspace, Alice Springs, NT
2022 Salon des Refuses, Gallery 4, Darwin, NT
2017 Play on: The Art of Sport / 10 Years of the Basil Sellers Art Prize, Hazelhurst Arts Centre (touring nationally 2017-2019)
2015 Tarnanthi – Bush Footy Studio, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adeliade, SA
2011 Night visions, Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW
2007 Centre Bounce, collaborative sculptures curated by Phil Manning, AFL world, Melbourne, Vic
2007 Arrkerre Thene Irretye (Night Owl & Eagle), Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, Vic
2005 Utopia: A Picture Story, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney, NSW
1989 Utopia: A Picture Story, Tandanya Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA (touring Ireland and Scotland 1990)
1989 Utopia Womens' Paintings: The First Works on Canvas: A Summer Project, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney, NSW

AWARD EXHIBITIONS
2014 Finalist, National Works on Paper, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Vic
2014 WINNER, Moreton Bay Regional Art Award, Qld
2012 Highly commended, Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, South Australia Museum, Adeliade, SA
2010 WINNER, painting category, Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, South Australia Museum, Adelaide, SA
2009 Finalist, Sulman Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
2009 Finalist, Togart Contemporary Art Award (NT), Main Hall, Parliament House, Darwin, NT
2008 Finalist, 25th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
2008 Finalist, collaborative artwork, Xstrata Coal Emerging Indigenous Art Award, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Qld
2008 WINNER, collaborative artwork, Basil Sellers Art Prize, Ian Potter Museum, Melbourne, Vic
2008 Finalist, Western Australian Indigenous Art Award, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, WA
2007 Finalist, The 56th Blake Prize for Religious Art, National Art School Gallery, Sydney, NSW

COLLECTIONS
National Museum of Australia, ACT
Parliament House Collection, ACT
Art Gallery of South Australia, SA
State Library of Victoria, Vic
Murray Bridge Regional Gallery, SA
Artbank, Vic
Kerry Stokes Collection, WA
Janet Holmes à Court Collection, WA