Louise Malarvey

‘A photograph showed to me by family recently brought back vivid memories of wandering through fields of wildflowers on Ngarti country, my grandmothers’ country. The wildflowers would cover the desert during winter season. It reminded me of the vibrant colours and textures I saw as a child and that is what I am now trying to recapture. After the wet season, these wild desert flowers bloom all over the country, keeping the desert alive.’ Louise Malarvey 2024

In 2022 Louise Malarvey won the NATSIAA Emerging Artist award with her work Pamarr Yara, which interprets the transformative and life-giving waters at her Great Sandy Desert homelands. Two years later and her style has developed with the inclusion of subtle pinks and white ochre that are gently layered on the canvas. Depicting the wildflowers of the desert that bloom after the rains, these works reinforce the important cycle of life. As Tina Baum recently stated ‘It is this intimate knowledge of Country and her ongoing creative development that shows an exciting sophistication to her works that ensures her individual style and designs stand out from her peers.’ These exquisite works whisper ancient words yet are told by a new voice; a voice from a proud cultural woman whose stories were passed on to her and in turn will be passed on to her children, as has been the practice for thousands of years. 1Tina Baum, Gulumirrgin (Larrakia)/Wardaman/Karajarri peoples, Senior Curator, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art National Gallery