Josie and Dinni are true innovators within their tradition, effecting change and integrating it into everyday practice. Tradition and change are intrinsically linked. Change is inevitable in all living cultures, and the form that change takes relies on the vision of the instigator. In the sculptures of Josie Kunoth Petyarre and Dinni Kunoth Kemarre we get a sense of past, present and future.

Bruce McLean, Associate Curator of Indigenous Art at the Queensland Art Gallery Dinni Kunoth Kemarre, Josie Kunoth Petyarre and their sons Patrick, Simon, Benjamin and Alan offer a different view on the desert art tradition, producing sculpture and painting directly inspired by the reality of their daily lives as well as their expanding awareness of life in the big cities. With effusive, edgy and brave representations of life, this exciting group of artists challenge notions of ‘traditional’ Aboriginal art. In times of pervasive coverage of the difficult aspects of contemporary Aboriginal life, this family’s body of work is a symbol of the dynamism and vibrancy inherent in desert communities.

Utopia is a tract of Aboriginal land that encompasses the traditional country of the Alywarre and Anmatyerre people. Dinni and Josie live on an outstation at Utopia’s heart - 250km north east of Alice Springs - with their five sons, four daughters and their grandchildren. In 2007, the husband and wife team gained national attention after completing a major project for exhibition at the AFL Hall of Fame in Melbourne entitled Centre Bounce, The exhibition established Josie and Dinni as two of the country’s finest artistic chroniclers of the national game; with more of their Aussie Rules inspired work selected in the inaugural $100,000 Basil Sellers Art Prize at the University of Melbourne.

In addition to bringing their unique sculptural vision to national attention, Centre Bounce provided Dinni and Josie with their first opportunity to visit a major capital city. Returning to Utopia, Dinni and Josie unexpectedly embarked on a series of paintings which capture the complexity of their experiences in Melbourne.

Alan, Patrick, Simon and Benjamin Kunoth Pwerle have been directly inspired by the creative success of Dinni and Josie. Soon the sons were carving and painting independently, creating their own bodies of works exploring the world around them. In April 2008, the four sons participated in the survey exhibition 30 Under 30 at Mossenson Galleries in Perth and Melbourne.

In 2008, Josie Kunoth Petyarre and Dinni Kunoth Kemarre were the only artists selected as finalists in all three of Australia’s premier Indigenous art awards; the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, the Xstrata Coal Emerging Indigenous Art Awards and the inaugural WA Indigenous Art Awards, In 2007-2008, they have been included in numerous major art awards, including the Blake Prize, the Basil Sellers Art Prize, the Alice Prize, the Waterhouse Natural History Prize and the Togart Art Awards.

Mossenson Galleries is very proud to present The Kunoths’ Utopia. Coinciding with Josie and Dinni’s inclusion in the inaugural WA Indigenous Art Awards, Mossenson Galleries is pleased to announce that Josie and Dinni will be travelling to Perth for the opening. The exhibition will be opened at 5:30pm by the Honourable John Day, MLA, Minister for Planning; Culture and the Arts.