Kieren Karritpul
Nauiyu / Daly River, NT
"I aim to educate people about our unique and long culture, in particular the importance of land to our culture.
The flowing water symbolises the flow of life: the land and our people living and breathing for hundreds of years together. The 18 pieces represent all the years we have been living on this Earth as one.
The papers are pinned to move or breathe like us on the Earth."
About the Artist
Kieren Karritpul is a Ngen'giwumirri artist who lives in the community of Nauiyu / Daly River, south-west of Darwin, surrounded by artists including his mother and aunties. Since the age of 15, Kieren has dedicated himself to art and works in mediums based around drawing, including painting, printmaking, fabric design and ceramics.
As a Ngen'giwumirri man, Kieren is not permitted to weave, so instead he paints, draws and prints these woven objects and fibres. He uses depictions of these objects to present his own experiences as an Aboriginal person living today, often using repetition to emphasise his story.
His thought-provoking and outstanding work has already led to success. Kieren won the Youth Award at the 2014 Telstra NATSIAA for his stunning length of silk-screen printed fabric, Yerrgi, a ground-breaking moment for textile design. Kieren�s talent was again acknowledged in 2020 when he won the inaugural NIFA Textile Design Award, and his prowess across the fields of art and fashion point to a bright future.
