20 Facts About Queenie McKenzie

Queenie McKenzie was born on Old Texas Station, on the western bank of the Ord River in the East Kimberley.

Under the existing policy during the time of her youth, Queenie McKenzie was at risk of removal by the government to an institution, as was the fate of many Aboriginal children with mixed parentage at the time.

Queenie McKenzie's mother prevented the displacement of her child by reportedly blackening her skin with charcoal, and the young girl grew up working for the stockmen of the cattle station at Texas Downs.

Queenie McKenzie grew up amongst the Gija people and Gija was her first language.

Queenie McKenzie was an advocate and a healer while serving as a camp cook at the station and befriended Rover Thomas in the 1980s.

Queenie McKenzie took two Aboriginal names, once stating, "my name been grow up from these hills".

Queenie McKenzie enjoyed using natural ochres that came from the land of Warmun including reds, whites, browns, blacks, and yellows.

Queenie McKenzie's paintings depicted the landscape of the Warmun region and its ceremonies during the 1970s.

Queenie McKenzie constructed her paintings with hills and ridges approaching a horizon and the key landmarks of the region were characterized by the ochres she chose to represent each hill and tree to give them meaning.

Queenie McKenzie enjoyed painting owls which include pieces such as Mook Mook Owls with Young and Domboyn Owls.

Queenie McKenzie led a project supported by the Heritage Council of Western Australia to record mythological, historical, and women's ceremonial sites in the area to keep those stories alive for future generations.

Queenie McKenzie had her work shown in the first major showing of Kimberley, Images of Power, at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1993.

Queenie McKenzie created her first prints in 1995 with Frank Gohier at the Northern Territory University Printmaking Workshop in Darwin, which were selected for the Fremantle Print Award.

Queenie McKenzie established the very first community-owned art centre for Gija artists in August 1998 for Warmun artists which is called Warmun Art Centre.

Queenie McKenzie's works have sold at auction for $8000 to $92000.

Queenie McKenzie has been consistently included within the Australian Indigenous Art Market top 100 index, ranking 21st in 2014.

Queenie McKenzie's works are held in the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of South Australia and Art Gallery of Western Australia, among others.

Queenie McKenzie was included in the Moorditj-Australian Indigenous Cultural Expressions CD-ROM, along with other Western Australian artists Jack Davis, Alma Toomath, Betty Egan, Michele Broun, the Pigram Brothers, Footprince, Wayne Barker, Sally Morgan, Jimmy Chi and Mary Pantjiti McLean.

Queenie McKenzie was cited as an important influence on the work of the Australian ceramic artist Pippin Drysdale.

Queenie McKenzie died on 16 November 1998, in Western Australia.