Ian Abdulla
Encyclopedia
Ian Abdulla was a Ngarrindjeri
Australian Aboriginal contemporary artist. He has been called Australia's greatest naive artist
.
Abdulla was born in 1947 at Swan Reach
, on the Murray River
, in the Riverland region of South Australia
. His art depicts the landscape and activities of this area, with a strong storytelling element. His works are distinct for their juxtaposition of text and image against a flattened foreground. Abdulla's handpainted annotations briefly describe the scene depicted and are placed dead centre at the top of his paintings.
Abdulla's work featured on the cover of the World Health Organisation's annual report. His works have been exhibited around the world and form part of the permanent collection at the Art Gallery of South Australia
and the Art Gallery of New South Wales
.
In 1991 Abdulla was named South Australian Aboriginal Artist of the Year, and was awarded an Australia Council Fellowship in 1992. His book, "As I Grew Older" was awarded the Australian Multicultural Children’s Literature Award in 1994 and, "Tucker" was short-listed for the Children’s Book Council Eve Pownall Award for Information Books in 1995.
Ngarrindjeri
The Ngarrindjeri are a nation of eighteen "tribes" consisting of numerous family clans who speak similar dialects of the Ngarrindjeri language and are the traditional Aboriginal people of the lower Murray River, western Fleurieu Peninsula, and the Coorong of southern, central...
Australian Aboriginal contemporary artist. He has been called Australia's greatest naive artist
Naïve art
Naïve art is a classification of art that is often characterized by a childlike simplicity in its subject matter and technique. While many naïve artists appear, from their works, to have little or no formal art training, this is often not true...
.
Abdulla was born in 1947 at Swan Reach
Swan Reach, South Australia
Swan Reach is a river port in South Australia located 127 km north east of Adelaide on the Murray River between Blanchetown and Mannum in South Australia. It is on the left bank of the river. The Swan Reach Ferry is a cable ferry crossing operated by the state government as part of the...
, on the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
, in the Riverland region of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. His art depicts the landscape and activities of this area, with a strong storytelling element. His works are distinct for their juxtaposition of text and image against a flattened foreground. Abdulla's handpainted annotations briefly describe the scene depicted and are placed dead centre at the top of his paintings.
Abdulla's work featured on the cover of the World Health Organisation's annual report. His works have been exhibited around the world and form part of the permanent collection at the Art Gallery of South Australia
Art Gallery of South Australia
The Art Gallery of South Australia , located on the cultural boulevard of North Terrace in Adelaide, is the premier visual arts museum in the Australian state of South Australia. It has a collection of over 35,000 works of art, making it, after the National Gallery of Victoria, the largest state...
and the Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Art Gallery of New South Wales , located in The Domain in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, was established in 1897 and is the most important public gallery in Sydney and the fourth largest in Australia...
.
In 1991 Abdulla was named South Australian Aboriginal Artist of the Year, and was awarded an Australia Council Fellowship in 1992. His book, "As I Grew Older" was awarded the Australian Multicultural Children’s Literature Award in 1994 and, "Tucker" was short-listed for the Children’s Book Council Eve Pownall Award for Information Books in 1995.
Books
Artworks
- Swimming before school, 1995, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 239.5 x 160.0 cm stretcher. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
- Finding frogs in the night to put on the cross line to catch a Ponde or Pilarkie over night, 1990, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 183.0 x 244.0 cm. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
- Picking red berries, 1990, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 81.0 x 122.0 cm. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.