Carlene West

Carlene West is a pioneering Spinifex artist born at Tjitjiti in the Great Victoria Desert whose work documents the profound landscapes and cultural knowledge of her people. During her childhood, Carlene's family walked to Cundeelee Mission, escaping prolonged drought and the dangerous effects of British nuclear testing at Maralinga—a traumatic displacement shared by many Spinifex people. While embracing aspects of mission life from around age twelve, she maintained strong connections to country through regular participation in ceremonial cycles. When the Spinifex Arts Project commenced in 1997, Carlene was among its first artists, transitioning her prolific artifact-making skills to painting. Her works depict ancestral narratives and the remote desert country of her birth with cultural authority and intimate knowledge. Carlene has exhibited widely across Australia and traveled to Europe in 2002 as part of a theatrical production celebrating Spinifex stories and homelands. The 2007 Spinifex Mapping Project graded a new road to Tjitjiti, enabling traditional owners to revisit birthplaces and significant sites. Carlene's artistic legacy lies in preserving Spinifex cultural knowledge while documenting her people's resilience through displacement, demonstrating art's vital role in maintaining connection to country and identity.

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Carlene West

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