Janet Koongotema

Janet Koongotema is 83 years of age and a highly respected Wik-Mungkan elder from the Winchanam Clan. She is very skillful with her hands having spent a lifetime using them to collect and prepare natural fibres to create dilly bags and pandanus fruit bowls. Her string works are recognised across the country for their elegant and colourful forms.

Since 2010, Janet has adapted her weaving skills across to painting. Her use of traditional knowledge is apparent in all of her works. She uses dramatic colour compositions to depict her tribal Country on the Big Archer River near Aurukun. A recurring theme in her paintings is the Dilly Bag Story of which, among others, she is Boss for.

Janet has featured strong collections of work at Martin Brown Contemporary in Sydney, the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair and Tarnanthi in South Australia.

 

EXHIBITIONS:

 

(Solo )

          

2011            Wanchinth Ma’ Min, Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane, QLD

 

 

(Group)

 

2022             Yuk Wuy Min Ngantamp, The Brunswick Street Gallery, Vic

 

                      Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Qld

 

2021             Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Qld

 

2020             Ach Min, Coral Street Art Space, Victor Harbor, SA

 

 

2019             Painted Stories: Linking Country, Art and Culture for Language

                     Revival,  Tarnanthi, Hahndorf Academy, SA

 

2018             The Heysen Prize for Landscape, Hahndorf Academy, SA

 

2013             Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Qld

 

2012           The Long Tide, Contemporary Ghostnet Art, Artisan, Fortitude

                   Valley, QLD

 

                   The MHS (The Mental Health Conference), Centre for Rural and

                   Remote Mental Health Queensland, Cairns Conference Centre, QLD            

                     

                   Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, QLD

 

2011           Aurukun Artists,  Japingka Gallery,  Fremantle, WA

                     

                   Aawach Pi’an (Big House), Alcaston Gallery – Melbourne, VIC

 

                   Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, QLD

 

 2010          Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, QLD

 

                   Aurukun Artist Group Exhibition, Canopy, Cairns, QLD

 

                   Work in Progress, Artworks from Creative Recovery, CRRMH, The

                   Tanks, Cairns, QLD    

 

    

Exhibition History