Kaylene Whiskey (b. 1976) creates dazzling paintings with brightly colored pop stars rendered in dots and set among her own community in remote Central Australia. She depicts female pop culture icons—-including Dolly Parton, Tina Turner, Catwoman, Cher, and Wonder Woman—-woven into the Kungkarangkalpa Tjukurpa, or Seven Sisters Story. These heroines, however, are shown partying at Iwantja Arts, where Whiskey works in Indulkana, South Australia.

Her journal—doodle style—-laden with text bubbles, hearts, and rainbows—delivers lighthearted humor while channeling potent symbols of female power in an Aboriginal setting. A visual anthem to the admiration of American media felt by adolescents in her community, Whiskey’s work draws from the country music, rock ‘n’ roll, and Anangu songs played in her household growing up. Reflections and interview excerpts punctuate the richly illustrated pages in which Whiskey describes her conceptual process—blending Anangu traditions with contemporary culture by painting jugs of Coca—Cola, alongside mingkulpa (native tobacco plants), lollipops, honey ants, and other childhood emblems.

The first monograph on the artist, The Art of Kaylene Whiskey, features a survey by renowned curator Natalie King and an in-depth interview with the artist, in her own words. Featuring a lenticular cover and colorfully designed throughout, the volume also includes contributions from notable creatives Taika Waititi, Jazz Money, Zoé Whitley, Clothilde Bullen, and April Phillips.

Author Biography

Kaylene Whiskey (b. 1976) is a contemporary artist based at Iwantja Arts, an Aboriginal owned and governed art center in South Australia. She has won the Sulman Prize, the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award, and was a two-time finalist for the Archibald Prize. In 2021, her work appeared in New York City bus shelters as part of a commission with Public Art Fund. Natalie King is a leading Australian curator, writer, and senior researcher, engaged with artists and institutions across the Asia-Pacific region and Europe.

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