Arrernte/Western Arrarnta woman Marlene Panankga Rubunjta is a senior artist and spokeswoman for the Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, a filmmaker, writer and mental health activist. Following in the footsteps of her father, artist and activist Wenten Rubuntja, she highlights mental health awareness in the desert, creating artworks drawn from memories and the world around her. She is widely known for her distinct use of bright colour and pattern work that evokes a sense of happiness and humour, often speaking to the importance of finding joy in our everyday lives. These self-portrait sculptures are representations of Marlene – as a strong cultural woman and artist who has overcome many life struggles, including significant loss and grief. Collectively, the portraits speak to the differing expressions of self, highlighting the multitude of identities that exist within each of us.
Purchased 2023
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Audio description
Show transcript
The soft sculpture Girl with dillybag full of bushfood by Arrente/Western Arranta artist Marlene Rubuntja is made from bush-dyed recycled woollen blankets, decorated with wool and cotton stitching. It is 167 cm high including its curved metal stand, 40.5 cm wide and 17 cm deep. It is a full-length simplified figure of a girl with straight red hair pulled back in a tight bun, wide open blue eyes and an O-shaped open mouth with fuchsia-pink lips. Her outstretched arms are multicoloured with red, yellow, dark green and teal overlapping stitches. Her pale blue sleeveless top has 3 yellow buttons with violet centres placed vertically in a row from neck to mid-chest. Her A-line skirt is dark teal with a brightly multi-striped bottom edge. The wide beige strap of an oversized bag is looped around her neck; the bag hangs in front of the lower part of her body and below it.
Two large spherical shapes bulge out of the top of the mousey-brown bag, one balanced on top of the other. The top sphere is orange and purple and the one beneath is varying tones of green. The bag is embellished with brown and orange circles above stylised striped white and red flowers and large green leaves.
Audio description written and voiced by Krysia Kitch
