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Blue Gum Tree (Ganyji )

Blue Gum Tree (Ganyji) The Blue Gum Tree, gets its name because of its bluish leaves. In Yindjibarndi language it is called Ganyji, in English, Kanji Bush (Acacia pyrifolia).This painting depicts elements of the bush – its blue leaves and yellow flowers against the red and green of the earth. When the rain comes, or when there has been a heavy dew, the Blue Gum Tree just shimmers in the light. In September, when we are looking for gum from the Blue Gum Tree, we walk through the spinifex country. We pick the gum when it is crystal coloured, and we eat it, or put it into hot water and leave it out in the sun to make it like a toffee. We call it sugar lolly.

Categories: Yinjaa-Barni Art

Name: Allery Sandy

Language: Yindjibarndi

Biography:

Allery Sandy is a proud Yindjibarndi woman, daughter of Sandy Andrews and Lila King. She was born in Roebourne, the fourth of eleven children and has two daughters and a son. Allery's first job was with Community Welfare selling second-hand clothing, followed by running a play group in the community for local children. In 1986 she was employed as the Aboriginal Islander Education worker in Roebourne pre-primary School, followed in 1990 by teaching her own Yindjibarndi language through a LOTE (Languages Other Than English) program. In 2001 she left the school and found work with a team of women doing cooking and sewing and she is also involved in the ministry of the Pilbara Aboriginal Church.

Allery started painting in February 2006, enrolling in short courses in painting and design. She loves to paint the landscape of her Country from an aerial perspective. She begins her works with an underpainting using sponge and brush work and then finishes off with a fine layer of dot work, creating a sense of movement and depth of field on the canvas. Allery also loves depicting the wildflowers of her Country. She enjoys painting the bush seeds, its creeks and rivers, wildflowers in season and trees that are specific to her Pilbara Country. Her style continues to expand and more recently she has started painting aerial landscapes with fine line work on Pilbara earth.

Allery regularly exhibits in galleries around the country and her works are enjoyed in private and public collections around the world. She was the Chairperson of Yinjaa-Barni Art from 2006 - 2018, is a highly respected Elder of the Yindjibarndi community and a passionate communicator of her culture. Her two daughters have followed in their mother’s footsteps and are also established artists at Yinjaa-Barni Art Centre.

In 2014 Allery featured in Marni (My Painting Style), a long form documentary of her painting a commissioned work in her signature style. She is also a performer and cultural advisor in various performances with Big hART including ‘Hipbone Sticking Out’ and ‘Songs for Freedom’, touring nationally. Most recently Allery was announced as a finalist for the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards.

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