Sarrita King & Tarisse King 2014

Sarrita King and Tarisse King consistently prove that the way forward for younger contemporary Indigenous artists can be successfully found with perseverance and commitment. These two sister artists combine the use of traditional techniques with an intuitive approach to story-telling.

Their imagery evokes the history of Indigenous life on the land, with references to traditional camp sites, water sources and hunting grounds. The multi-layered patterning that covers the surface of the land and the water marks these basic resources with the cultural signs of Aboriginal presence.

The artists can develop large works as well as small works, all with a rich layering of detail. The work of Sarrita King and Tarisse King is connecting to a younger audience as well as established art buyers, and the artists have achieved international recognition on top of their Australia-wide success.

Occasional collaborations on canvas have developed where the sister artists create a joint painting. “They started off painting collaborations in the one place, but now they live 2,000 kms apart. So the collaborations are now a way of staying connected” says Keith Murphy, the artists’ managing agent. “ The sisters take turns in starting a painting then send it to the other to finish, in whatever way they like. The free flow of ideas is then a surprise when they see the finished work in an exhibition. It has become something that the sisters really appreciate, now that they don’t live close to each other anymore.”

Sarrita King and Tarisse King carry on the legacy of their father, William King, who died young in his 40s, but fortunately not before he had passed on his philosophy and art skills to his daughters. Their paintings are impressive with an absorbing detail and rhythm of composition, each canvas with the power to draw you into the picture plane.

This exhibition by Sarrita and Tarisse King, the third by the artists to be held at Japingka Gallery, runs from 29 August to 30 September 2014.