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Allery Sandy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Allery Sandy is an artist from Roebourne, in Western Australia's Pilbara region, and a Yindjibarndi elder.[1]

Early life and work

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Sandy was born in Roebourne to parents Sandy Andrews and Lila King. She is the fourth-eldest of their eleven children. Allery was first employed at the Community Welfare's second-hand clothes shop, and subsequently ran a play group for underprivileged children.[2]

In 1986 Sandy started work as an Aboriginal Islander Education worker at Roebourne Pre-primary School, and from 1990 she taught the Yindjibarndi language as a LOTE (Languages Other Than English) subject. In 2001 Sandy left the school, and became involved women cooking and sewing, as well as the ministry of the local Aboriginal Church.[2]

Art

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Sandy started painting in February 2006, following encouragement from a TAFE teacher, Patricia Floyd, who was giving lessons at the Pilbara Aboriginal Church in Roebourne.[1] Sandy undertook courses in painting and design,[2] and in 2007 completed her first painting with an aerial-perspective.[1]

Sandy received national recognition as a finalist in the 2012 National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards with her painting Country in Spring.[1] Two years later she won top prize in the WA Indigenous section of the Cossack Art Awards.[3]

Sandy was the subject and narrator of the documentary and slow TV show Marni, which aired on NITV on 23 January 2020.[4] The title means marking in the Yindjibarndi language, and the 170 minute long feature shows Sandy as she creates a dot-work painting of the Roebourne region.[5][6]

Personal life and other roles

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Sandy has three children, two daughters and a son.[2]

In 2006 Sandy became the chairperson of Yinjaa-Barni Art, and in 2014 was a performer in, and Yindjibarndi language and cultural adviser for, the play "Hipbone Sticking Out".[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Tan, Teresa (7 February 2020). "Indigenous art, Pilbara and connection to country at the heart of new NITV 'slow TV' documentary". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Allery Sandy". Yinjaa-Barni Art. 2016. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  3. ^ "Pilbara artists shine bright in Australia's top regional art prize". City of Karratha. 23 July 2014. Archived from the original on 31 March 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  4. ^ "MARNI premieres on NITV Thursday, 23 January 2020". Screenwest. 23 January 2020. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  5. ^ Beattie, Shannon (7 January 2020). "Artist's work to shine on TV show". Pilbara News. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  6. ^ Sandy, Allery (January 2020). "Ellery Sandy's film 'Marni' on NITV" (Interview). Roebourne, Western Australia: Ngaarda Media. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.

Further reading

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