Painting history
At just 17 and not yet out of high school, the Mirning, Kokatha and Pitjantjatjara artist Kellis Dare Lawrie illustrated a children’s book, Ananguku Wangka, designed to teach children the Pitjantjatjara First Nations language.
“I like art and after completing the book, it’s made me want to do it more,” Kellis tells Woman’s Day from South Australia’s APY Lands.
“All of my family have told me a lot of Dreamtime stories that would be good for kids to learn about. I’m very proud of the book.”
Kellis was asked by SA’S
Department for Education to provide the illustrations after being impressed by her essay on empowering women and girls in remote communities and winning the Country to Canberra Award.
When her studies end, Kellis hopes to return to the canvas and has a plan for her future. “There needs to be more Pitjantjatjara books and we need to get more people involved in creating stories, not just for little ones.”