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Sevania Kemarre Bonney – My View of Country

Sevania was born in Soapy Bore, Utopia and started to paint when she was teenager. She learnt the way to paint landscape and bush medicine from her mother Elizabeth Ngwarraye Bonney and grandmother Eileen Kemarre Bonney, a former health worker and artist.

Sevania finds painting soothing and enjoys sharing this activity with her twin daughters Dakota and Latoya,  so they can learn as she did with her mother and grandmother.

Knowing your country is an important part of living in a remote community like Ampilatwatja. Knowing when and where to go hunting and gathering, knowing where there is ‘soakage’ (where you can dig for water), traveling with family for ceremonies, and maintaining a connection with the land.

“This is my country, my view of country.”

The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’(dreaming stories). The artists paint their country where those stories sit.