Biography:
Helen Gillen was born at Jay Creek, but the Reserve was doomed. She and her younger sister Gwen, also a painter at Tangentyere Artists, ended up living at Amoonguna. They went to school there briefly, and were grown up by their mother's grandmother, a very elderly lady. Once the sister's great grandmother passed away, Helen and Gwen were adopted out. They felt tricked - being told they would be taken to Alice Springs to go shopping. They had never been 'shopping', but found when they got in the vehicle, with the Welfare workers they were not going shopping at all. They had been seized as Wards of the State.
Helen was about nine and Gwen about seven when the sisters ended up each living with a different white family in Darwin. The sisters' whole family was pulled apart by Welfare, with two younger sisters ending up in Darwin and then Perth. Neither of those sisters ever lived in Central Australia, but they have visited with family. They have all spent their adult years slowly putting the pieces of their family back together again.
Helen came back to Amoonguna when she was 18, wanting to meet up with her extended family again. She had to learn the language again, but she always knew who she was - had it in her head all the time - her mum, grandma and grandpa, great grandmother. Helen's Country is Kings Canyon way, at Ulpanyali where family live today. Helen grew up in the Baptist Church, but has adopted the Lutheran Church, and remains committed to encouraging the children in the family into education, as she and her sister were offered good educations. Helen has watched her aunt painting out bush, as well as her sister Gwen. Helen has practiced occasionally. She would like to commit to the activity but juggles many commitments to the Aboriginal community in Alice Springs, as well as her extended family.
