Main kantri en dat Trupi
karen rogers
14 november–1 december
Anjanjirriya, 312-24, acrylic on canvas, 100x100cm
In the early days - Lino, 4681-23, Marrnyula Munuŋgurr, screenprint on magnani, 76.5x56.3cm
Ḏawu - Tree of Knowledge, 4554-23, Dhambit Munuŋgurr, etching and screenprint on hahnemuhle, 122x69.5cm
“I laigim paintimbat trupi em main kantri, en I laigim dalimbat stori wani mela dumbat. Wen u nomo gadi jak o enijing ba tjeijim taiga digimat dat trupi wen im bog, mela gajim enijing budu kantri. Longtaim wen ibin ligal mela bin walk ebidiwere ba gu hanting, fijing en gaji bush tuck."
"I like painting the troopy and my country and I like to tell stories on what is happening. When you got no jack or anything to change the tyre or take the troopy out when bogged, we use anything from country for example stone, grass, wood. Long time when I was a little girl we walked everywhere to go hunting, fishing and collecting bush tucker.”
Karen Rogers’ Main Kantri en dat Trupi (My Country and the Troopy) tells Karen’s stories of life in Ngukurr, South East Arnhem Land.
Living her whole life in Ngukurr, on the banks of the Roper River, Karen’s paintings are grounded in her love of storytelling. In her paintings we join her on trips in the Troopy, going fishing, camping, avoiding misadventures such as getting bogged or breaking down.
Colourful scenes stretch out before us, precious and playful memories of time spent with her family out on country.
Main Kantri en dat Trupi by Karen Rogers is presented by BSG Projects and Ngukurr Arts.
Welcome the artist Karen Rogers from 5PM Friday 15 November as she talks to us about her practice, of life in Ngukurr and the unique way of artmaking in the region.
Please then join us for a drink to celebrate the opening of Main Kantri en dat Trupi on Friday 15 November (6–8PM).
exhibition collection
ABOUT THE ARTIST
KAREN ROGERS
"Main neim im Karen Rogers en mi burrum Ngukurr komyunidi. Sambala main atwek im bla dis kantri we ai bin grouap. Im bla mela laif la Roper en bla mela koltja."
"My name is Karen Rogers and I’m from Ngukurr Community. My artwork often shows the country where I grew up. It’s inspired by our life in Ngukurr and our culture."
Karen Rogers is a renowned Ngukurr artist, author, printer and illustrator. She is also an emerging curator, having co-curated Our Country which presented the work of artists from 5 remote Indigneous Art Centres within Brunswick Street Gallery in June 2022 and Kalawan Kantri, a showcase of the colourful art of Ngukurr and its artists Jill Daniels, Gwenneth Blitner, Wally Wilfred, Norman Wilfred and Alan Joshua Jnr, alongside the artist herself, presented in November 2023.
Main Kantri en dat Trupi is Rogers' first solo exhibition in Naarm.
Main Kantri en dat Trupi is presented by BSG Projects and Ngukurr Arts.
