| Artist | Freda Brady and Tanya Brady |
|---|---|
| Title | Seven Sisters |
| Year | 2022 |
| Medium | Acrylic on linen |
| Dimensions | 198 × 122 cm |
| Art Centre | Tjala Arts → |
Out of stock
Freda Brady and Tanya Brady
Freda Brady was born and raised in Amata. She is the daughter of the late Kunmanara (Paniny) Mick and Mick Wikilyiri, both senior and highly regarded painters at Tjala Arts. Freda began her artistic career in 2002 creating batik. Freda also paints on impressive large-scale collaborative canvases with her sisters Yaritji Young, Tjungkara Ken, Maringka Tunkin and Sandra Ken. Freda is also a director and chairperson of Tjala Arts, to support the ongoing strength and vitality of art centre business for her community.
Tanya Brady is an artist and community leader working at Tjala Arts. Tanya learned to paint from her mother, Freda Brady, as well as her aunties, the highly regarded Ken sisters from Tjala Arts. Tanya, like her mother, most frequently paints the Seven Sisters story.
Artist statement
In this painting, mother and daughter Freda Brady and Tanya Brady have depicted the Kungkarangkalpa (Seven Sisters) story. This is a Tjukurpa (creation story) about the constellations of Pleiades and Orion. The sisters are the constellaton of Pleiades and the other star Orion is Nyiru or Nyirunya (described as a lusty or bad man). Nyiru is forever chasing the sisters. The seven sisters travel to escape the persistent Nyiru, but he always finds them. As Nyiru is chasing the sisters he tries to catch them by using magic to turn into the kampurarpa (bush tomatoes) for the sisters to eat and the Ili (fig) tree for them to camp under. However, the sisters are too clever for Nyiru and outwit him as they are knowledgeable about his magic. Eventually the sisters fly into the sky to escape Nyiru, forming the constellation.