Kunmanara Carroll
Pukatja (Ernabella), SA
This work is a depiction of the artist's father's Country next to Kiwirrkura (Lake Mackay). Kunmanara Carroll's parents died before he turned 19. He moved to Pukatja (Ernabella) where he spent the last 50 years. He travelled to Kiwirrkura Community and surrounding areas to visit sites important to his father. It was a homecoming of sorts, a reconciliation with his beginnings and a journey to see places he had only ever heard stories of.
About the Artist
Kunmanara Carroll (1950�2021) was one of the most senior Anangu Pitjantjatjara men on the APY Lands, and was one of the most significant and important artists from this region.
Born at Haasts Bluff, Kunmanara later moved to Papunya when the new settlement was created there. He went to school in Papunya before moving to Areyonga, where he finished school. He then travelled on horseback with his family to Eagle Bore, which is a homeland just north of Pukatja (Ernabella), and he lived in Pukatja for the next 50 years.
In 2009, Kunmanara began to paint at Ernabella Arts, and in 2011 he started making ceramics. His distinct style in depicting his father's Country saw his work selected as a finalist in the Indigenous Ceramics Art Award (2014). Annually since 2011, Kunmanara led the Watiku (men�s) ceramics workshop in the Ernabella ceramics studio, which was responsible for bringing the next generation of men into the art centre.
Kunmanara�s ceramics and paintings have been acquired by international institutions and private collectors, and he has been a finalist in the Telstra NATSIAA multiple times with works showcasing his ceramic and painting practices.
