Janet Golder Kngwarreye

Janet Golder Kngwarreye was born on 15th November 1973 and is the daughter of Margaret Golder and Sammy Pitjara. Janet is an Anmatyerre woman from the Utopia region in Central Australia. She grew up at Mulga Bore in the Utopia region surrounded by her family and kin. Utopia is renowned for its development and nurturing of extremely talented Aboriginal artists including, Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Janet’s grandfather is Old Henry Pitjara and her grandmothers include Angelina Ngale and Polly Ngale, both of whom are notable artists. Her uncle is Greeny Purvis Petyarre (who sadly passed away in 2010), another well known, talented and collectable artist.

Janet began painting in 1997 and was taught the skills of art depiction by her family. She is married to fellow artist Ronnie Bird Jungala who is the grandson of famous Petyarre Sister, Ada Bird Petyarre (who sadly passed away in 2010). Together Janet and Ronnie have four children.

Janet is an emerging artist who shows promising talent, she predominantly depicts “Awelye” or ceremonial body paint using fine dot work and linear patterns. Central Art has some bright and colourful examples of her “Awelye” designs which she painted between 2003 and 2008. She is known for her depictions of Bush Medicine, in her artworks she depicts the leaves of particular plants found in Central Australia which contain medicinal properties. Traditionally women would gather the leaves, boil them and add a resin and use this paste to treat a variety of ailments. Both men and women have important roles to play within the community as healers. Janet also has the appropriate cultural knowledge and permission to depict the Dreamtime stories of the Mountain Devil Lizard and Emu.

Her artworks are colourful and creative, adding her own personal touch to these Dreamtime stories which have become famous by Utopian artists since the 1980’s during the Utopian art movement. Through her work with several art galleries around Australia, Janet has participated in several overseas group exhibitions and some of her artwork is held in the Mbantua Gallery’s permanent collection.