Illuwanti Ken
Artwork title: Walawuru ngunytju kukaku ananyi (Mother eagles going hunting)
Medium: Acrylic and ink on linen
Size: 160 x 160 cm
Price: $20,000
About the Artwork
Iluwanti Ken is a Pitjantjatjara artist, originally from Watarru and now living in Amata, in the APY lands in South Australia. Recognised for her large-scale ink drawings that illustrate mother eagles hunting. These sweeping mother eagles soar high in the sky in search for food across the land for their young. Iluwanti Ken says, “I paint the stories of my father’s country – Walawuru tjukurpa – the story of the eagles. This is my tjukurpa and all my children’s tjukurpa too.”
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About the Artist
Iluwanti Ken (born 1944) is a Pitjantjatjara artist, originally from Watarru and now living in Amata, in the APY lands in South Australia.
“I paint the stories of my father’s country – Walawuru Tjukurpa – the story of the eagles. This is my tjukurpa and all of my children’s tjukurpa too.”
Iluwanti is well known for her large scale ink drawings which feature graphic depictions of mother eagles hunting. These highly detailed drawings are created using punu sticks and express her tjukurpa (Anangu cultural heritage, encompassing past, present and future). She says that birds like the walawuru (eagles) and patupiri (swallows) have lessons for Anangu women about how to care for one's children. These birds build strong wiltjas (shelters) for their family, they hunt for food and protect their young from dangers.
Iluwanti is a finalist in the 2021 and 2023 Dobell Drawing Prize and in 2020, she won the 37th Telstra NATSIAA Works on Paper Award. Several of her works were featured in Tarnanthi 2020: Open Hands, at the Art Gallery of South Australia and she was a finliast in the 2023 and 2024 Sulman Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW.
In addition to her art practice, Iluwanti sits on the Board of Directors for both Tjala Arts and the APY Art Centre Collective. Her work is held in numerous public collections including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of South Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, QAGOMA, Artbank and the Singapore Art Museum. Iluwanti is also a highly respected ngangkari (traditional healer) and works for NPY Womens Council.