Joanne Currie Nalingu

This year, the Wynne prize was won by Joanne Currie Nalingu for The river is calm. The concept is derived from her ongoing work and research into Maranoa cultural material and designs from the Mandandanji people of the Mitchell area in South West Queensland. She grew up in there in the 1960s, by the banks of the Maranoa River. Her painting captures the beauty and colour of the river and the desert. Ms Currie Nalingu has also worked on numerous public art projects.

currienalingu

nalinguI like The river is calm, its deep simplicity and, yes, calmness.

Ms Currie Nalingu began painting in 1988 and has been a core member of the Campfire Group since the mid 1990s, developing skills and her professional profile. Her works are widely exhibited, including by the Fire-Works Gallery. While her style can be recognised as Aboriginal, her work is personal and individual, moving within cultures, honouring tradition and the present.