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Charlene is definitely one of the most talented, exciting young artists in Australia. Born in Perth 1977, she grew up at Warmun Community, Turkey Creek, Western Australia. She has established herself as a strong woman, an enthusiastic painter with an enquiring mind and the ability to fulfil her highest aspirations. Charlene is an established International Australian Artist.
She is ambitious, determined to succeed in the Art World, yet retaining a deep love of her extended family and always her six children and her family are uppermost in Charlene’s life. Quick to laugh, generous of herself, a popular loving and much loved lady.
Charlene started painting at an early age the second child of Churchill Cann and Sade Carrington, both International Artists, her earlier paintings reflected the flowing lines and meticulous method of her mother. She was known to comment when young that she just didn’t feel right when trying her father’s style, but it is now very apparent that many of her paintings are leaning towards Churchill’s swirling strokes and incredible ochre blending.
Texas Downs has produced some wonderful painters, and, although the subject matter of Charlene’s art is wide and varied, she admits to enjoying most of all the camping trips with her family to their home country Texas, and the paintings she completes of that land, with the Dreaming stories which her kangayi, grandmother Betty Carrington, her Uncle Hector Jandany (dcsd.) and her other relatives have taught her.
Undoubtedly her art will be influenced by the artists she has learnt from and painted with, the best Queenie McKenzie, Jack Britten who taught both Sade and then Charlene, her grandfathers Beerbee Mungnari and Uncle Hector Jandany, Rover Thomas, George Mung Mung and many of the Senior Warmun artists. However, Charlene is taking the ochre medium into a totally new perspective, still with the Ngarrangkarni (Dreaming) Stories of her Kitja culture.
Awards
1999
Special Commendation, East Kimberley Art Awards, WA
2002
Selected as the representative for the ABC’s “Loud” Youth Arts Festival
Solo Exhibitions
2006
Ngarrgooroon Country , Hector Janday and Charlene Carrington, Raft Artspace, Darwin
2004
Charlene Carrington Solo Show, Span Galleries, Melbourne in conjunction with Seva Frangos
2002
Kintolai Gallery in conjunction with the Adelaide International Festival of Arts, Adelaide, SA
Selected Group Exhibitions
1994
Maintaining Family Tradition, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide
1995
Kids of Warmun, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide
1999
East Kimberley Art Awards, Kununurra
Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
Hogarth Galleries, Sydney
Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin
2000
Bett Gallery, Hobart
Hogarth Galleries, Sydney
2001
Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane
Ochre Show, Short Street Gallery, Broome
Short on Size, Short Street Gallery, Broome
2002
Recent Works from Warmun, Framed Gallery, Darwin
Thornquest Gallery, Southport
Warmun Group Show, Bett Gallery, Hobart
Garmerrun: All Our Country, Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide
2003
East Kimberley Show, Short Street Gallery, Broome
Ngarrgoorroon, Yiyili and Yarrunga – Four Artists from Warmun, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney
Six Warmun Women Painting Country, Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs
Waterhole, Raft Artspace, Sydney
2004
Body of Art, Raft Artspace, Darwin
Die inneren und die äußeren Dinge. Bamberg, Germany (in cooperation with Aboriginal Art Gallery Bähr, Speyer)
Women’s Figurative Show Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
The Next Generation: Balgo And Warmun Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, Vic
20th Telstra Aboriginal & Torres Straight Islander National Art Award, Darwin
Warmun Women, Alcaston Gallery, Fitzroy
Gija – Across The Border, Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT
2006
Women from Texas Downs, Gadfly Gallery, Dalkeith, Perth, WA
Warmun Art Centre Presents, Mary Place Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2007
Back To The Board, Coo-ee Gallery, Sydney
Japingka Gallery, Fremantle
Selected Collections
Artbank, Sydney
Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide
Art Gallery of Western Australia
Bibliographies
2003 Artwork featured on the cover of text ”Their Stories, Our History”, Melbourne, VIC