Bernadine Johnston Kemarre was born c1974, in a small community naed Santa Teresa, east of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. She is from a family of highly regarded artists from the Utopia region in the eastern central desert, including Abie Loy and Josie Petrick Kemarre.
Bernadine is married to Stephen Pitjara, and they live with their children between Napperby Station in the NT, and Adelaide South Australia.
Bernadines paintings are mostly of Bush Medicine – of leaves on the ground – dropping from the tree onto the ground, then being picked up by a gentle wind which swirls them around. The leaves are from a particular tree which has medicinal properties which can be ground to a paste and used to fight off infection.
COLLECTIONS:
John Curtin Gallery, Perth WA