Kuddtji, born around 1928, is one of Australias leading Aboriginal artists. He commenced painting in the early eighties, along with the best of the original Papunya Tula Artists. He is Traditional Custodian of his country situated approximately 230 kms north east of Alice Springs.
He is the brother of renowned artist Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Like many of his contemporaries, before commencing his painting career he worked on the stations as a stockman and in the gold mines dotted around his country.
He has been represented in major International exhibitions and initially gained world wide recognition for his traditional depictions of his Dreamings, featuring the travels and Law of his Emu Ancestors. When he commenced painting around 1986, he was encouraged by Geoffrey Bardon and others to paint in the fashionable grass roots style of precisely executed works with detailed infill. This style of work was applauded by Major Galleries and Collectors. Some years later, he deviated from this traditional style, and Kudditjis works emerged as abstract images, with broad strokes and a combination of vivid, bold colours. It is said that his new style was not favoured by the Galleries and Art Curators, and he returned to his original recognised Traditional style of work.
It is not clear whether Kudditji or his sister Emily first painted this abstract style; however, the works of Emily were promoted and applauded as a new direction for modern Aboriginal Art. In 2002 Kudditji returned to the saturated colour paintings executed with heavily loaded brush and this time his works were recognised by astute collectors and galleries throughout Australia and Internationally.
He paints his Country in minimal landscape imaging, with beautiful colour co-ordination sometimes designed to give an impression of immense space with huge blocks of colours, and often merely closely blended duel colours in soft autumn toning.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2003
– New Paintings, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
2004
– My Country, Japingka Gallery, Perth
– My Country, New Paintings, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
– Waterhole Aboriginal Art, Sofitel Wentworth Hotel Exhibition, Sydney
2005
– Colours in Country, Art Mob, Hobart, Tasmania
– New Paintings, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
– Waterhole Aboriginal Art, Danks Street, Sydney
2006
– New Paintings, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
– My Country, Japingka Gallery, Perth
Selected Group Exhibitions
1990
– Art Dock, Contemporary Art from Australia, Noumea, New Caledonia
1991
– Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Exhibition, Araluen Centre, Alice Springs
1992
– Tjukurrpa, Museum fur Volkerkunde, Basel, Switzerland
2002
– The Contemporaries, Contemporary Artspace, Brisbane
2004
– Two Senior Men, Art Mob Gallery, Tasmania
– Australian Exhibition Centre, Chicago
– Heartbeat – Living Country, Wentworth Hotel, Sydney
– Spirit of Colour, Depot Gallery, Sydney
2005
– Big Country, Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs
– Fresh from the Central Desert, Canberra Grammar School, Canberra
Selected Collections
– Hank Ebes Collection, Melbourne
– Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs