Kathy is a Western Aranda woman, born in Ntaria (at the Hermannsburg mission), and now living in Mparntwe (Alice Springs).  When Kathy was a child, growing up, she used to look at her father Clifford Inkamala, a successful watercolour artist, paint landscape watercolours. Kathy’s mother was a craftswoman. She sawed, used crochets, and created placemats from native bean seeds for decoration. Kathy decided when she was younger that she would like to continue this artistic tradition.

Today, Kathy is inspired by native bush flowers and bush tucker in the Northern Territory area. In 2017 Kathy obtained a certificate 4 in visual art from the Batchelor institute and the following year she was the recipient of the NATSIAA award for Works on Paper.  

Kathy’s grandmother is Albert Namatjira’s sister, and Dellina Inkamala, who also paints at Iltja Ntjarra Art Centre is Kathy’s niece.

Kathy says about herself:  I am eager to learn new skills as a watercolourists and continue this process whenever I can. When I complete a watercolour painting I feel very proud about my work. The country I paint is important to me because it’s my father’s country.

The country I paint is important to me because it’s my father’s country.’ – Kathy Inkamala

Special Projects:

2019 Lumen Prints Workshop with AGNSW, Sydney, NSW

2019 Cicada press etching workshop, Sydney, NSW

Group exhibitions

• 2023
  Desert Mob, Araluen Art Centre
• 2023
  Belonging / Tjoritjarinja, Ngununggula Regional Gallery Southern Highlands, Bowral NSW
• 2023
  Art house Sydney
• 2022
  Kuprilya Kwatja Etatha, Tarnanthi Festival of Contemporary Arts, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
• 2022
  23rd Biennale of Sydney – Rivus, 12 March – 13 June 2022
• 2021
  30th Desert Mob Exhibition, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT
• 2021
  Arrkurla nakala kurunga lyaata-ntama (Before and Now), South Australian Museum, Adelaide SA
• 2020
  Homeless on my Homeland, NIRIN 22nd Biennale of Sydney, Sydney, NSW
• 2019
  Tjina Nurna-ka, Pmarra Nurn-kanha, Itla Itla Nurn-kanha (Our family, our country, our legacy), Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide SA
• 2019
  Pmarra Nurna-Kananhala untha-lapp-urma (Walking through country), Hazelhurst Art centre, Sydney, NSW.
• 2018
  Vivien Anderson Gallery, VIC
• 2016
  Desert Mob, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs
• 2016
  Abducted!, Alcaston Gallery, VIC

Collections

• 2018 Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT
• 2019 Art Gallery of NSW (AGNSW), Sydney, NSW
• 2016 National Museum of Australia (NMA), Canberra, ACT
• 2016 National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Melbourne, VIC
• 2016 UQ Art Museum, Brisbane, QLD
• 2019 Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT
• 2018 Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), Brisbane, QLD
• 2020 Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), Brisbane, QLD
• 2022 Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT
• 2018 Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA), SA
• 2023 Powerhouse Museum Sydney NSW

Awards

• 2018
  35th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Museum Art Gallery NT. Winner, Works On Paper