Christine Winmar
Christine Winmar is a Noongar woman, born in Midland, Western Australia in 1965. Her skin name is ‘Allawah’, an Aboriginal word meaning "Stay here". Christine was taught to paint by her father, a renowned artist, and didgeridoo craftsman. He taught her many aspects and techniques of Noongar art which are reflected in her work today. Christine then began experimenting with different styles and techniques with the support of her family and friends.
Christine has also spent a few years in the Kimberley, where she developed her skills by adopting the techniques of Aboriginals in the Northern Territory.
By 1997, Christine had been selling her works through an Aboriginal art gallery in Perth. Her first joint exhibition followed shortly, when in 2005, she and fellow artists Mingi May Barnes, Geoff Lindsey, and Tjinanginy exhibited in Perth and Cottesloe.
In 2009 Christine exhibited her work with various other artists in Perth and San Francisco in the “Colours of Australia” exhibition.
Today, Christine uses canvas, pottery, wood, and glass media. Bright and colourful patterns made using dots are common in her work. Her works are represented in art galleries throughout Western Australia.
Turtles are a favored food source in Indigenous communities around Australia and an essential element of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Hunting turtles and preparing and sharing their meat has great significance and is an expression of the continuance of traditions. The turtle shell has also been historically fashioned into combs and fishhooks.Due to the significance of turtles in Australian Indigenous communities, they appear as totems and in Dreamtime stories as well as Creation myths. The hunting of these animals is allowed when done sustainably and is managed and controlled by social laws that reflect links between families and totems. These marine creatures demonstrate the connection with traditional sea countries.
