Roseranna shows in this photograph her children and grandchildren playing at the entrance of Haasts Bluff community on an old truck.
Name: Roseranna Larry
Language: Warlpiri, Luritja
Community: Haasts Bluff
Biography:
Roseranna Larry was born at Papunya in 1980. She is the Chairperson of Ikuntji Artists and an artist. She is the oldest daughter of painter Susie Lane, a Western Arrernte, Warlpiri, and Luritja woman from Haasts Bluff. Her father, Roy Wara Larry, was an important lawman, working with local Aboriginal people and non-Indigenous people. When Roseranna was two years old, her younger sister was born, and her family moved to Haasts Bluff. She grew up in Haasts Bluff, though she often travelled to Willowra and Mt Deniston to visit family.
On visits to Willowra, Roseranna grew up watching her grandmother, Old Lady Morton (her father’s auntie), paint. Old Lady Morton was an Anmatyerre and Warlpiri woman from Willowra. She taught Roseranna to paint and passed down the Tjukurrpa (Dreaming) she continues to paint today. In Haasts Bluff, Roseranna watched her other grandmother, Esther Napaltjarri Jugadai, an Arrernte, Luritja, and Warlpiri woman painting at home before there was an art centre. Esther taught her about painting and how to collect the native ininti seeds that are used for ceremonies.
Though she grew up watching and helping her grandmothers paint, it was not until 2017, when Old Lady Morton passed away, that she began painting her story on canvas with Ikuntji Artists. Roseranna is a devoted mother of eight children and many grandchildren, spending much of her time caring for them.
As a strong voice for the art centre and the community Roseranna has travelled extensively throughout Australia and Europe visiting Luritja collections in museums. Roseranna participated in photography workshops throughout 2017 and won the 2017 Desart Photography Prize. She had her artwork featured in Parrtjima - Festival in Light 2019 in Alice Springs. In 2017 and 2022, Roseranna developed different t-shirt and fabric designs and travelled to fashion shows to Europe with them.
Kakalyalya Tjukurrpa – White Cocky Dreaming In the artist’s words: This is the story in my father’s country of Pirrupa Kaala. It is the story of the white cocky (circle middle on top) with mako Read more…
