‘There is so much beauty in this world and it’s hard to capture it all, but I can try.’ - Sarrita King
I am a proud Gurindji Waanyi woman living on wonderful Larrakia Country. I have been fourtunate to be a practising contemporary artist for over 17 years, my passion is storytelling, finding connection through culture and landsacpe.
At 36 years old Sarrita King lives in Darwin, N.T where she spent most of her youth. The Northern Territory continues to be the source of much of her creative inspiration along with the stories her father, the late, William King Jungala, shared with her.
She lives with her partner, Chad and her sons Steele and Grange and splits her time between family and working in the studio. Sarrita’s new family has only strengthened her desire to share her culture and stories through her art.
The beginning…
In Adelaide South Australia, Sarrita King was born on March 5 1988. She is younger sister to artist Tarisse King and daughter of renowned influential indigenous artist, the late William King Jungala. Her combinations of styles, philosophies and pictorial story-telling have become characteristic of her work, resulting in acclaim and world-recognition as an iconic artist in her own right.
‘My works try to capture philosophies and elements of life that everyone can relate to and feel a connection to. This brings the viewer into the artwork and helps… them to understand Aboriginal culture.’ (Sarrita King)
Spending her formative years in the harsh and exacting Northern Territory, she was close to the spirit of her people, the Gurindji tribe and she daily felt the degradation, reparation, hope and beauty of a land that was in constant flux, turmoil and renewal.
At the age of 16 she began to paint. The sand hills, lightning, space, direction, mass, torrential rain, fire, rivers of sand – everywhere the inspiration was rife and plentiful. Representing these visually riveting and dramatic Australian icons on canvas was the challenge that Sarrita accepted and dominated.
Developing a unique style
Sarrita is a self-confessed artist of today – she unashamedly combines methods and techniques from past and present times and is developing a future style for all generations to enjoy. She admits that ‘dotting’ is not necessarily a long tradition of indigenous artists and she uses it in amongst a variety of other methods, which combined; bring a driving and passionate energy to her contemporary work.
Sarrita, eloquent and descriptive in word as well as image, undertook a Bachelor of Journalism in Adelaide, but has returned to her deeper love of art and is currently in Darwin from where she often journeys deep into the lands that support and cherish not only her people but her talent and aspirations.
Her style is uniquely her own and is applauded not only in Australia but on the world-stage across Europe, Canada and elsewhere.