Abie's works on canvas have been shown and collected nationally and internationally. Her paintings are held in major collections all over the world and she was twice a finalist in the Telstra NATSIAA Awards. She rightly is considered as one of the most talented and exciting young Aboriginal artists.


Abie Loy Kemarre  was born c. 1972 in Utopia and is a third generation Aboriginal painter who comes from an outstanding painting family. Her Grandmother was the celebrated Kathleen Petyarre, an Aboriginal artist who began back in the days of batik and remains amongst the greats of the Aboriginal painting movement.

Indeed Abie Loy Kemarre was just six years old when the batik movement began at Utopia. The activity of art and art making has always surrounded her. It might be said that indigenous modernity in art was part of her own ‘traditional’ upbringing. With traditional ‘dreamings’ and mythologies, and her own innovative painting techniques, Abie Loy Kemarre has created a body of work that places her at the head of the ‘rising generation’ of Utopia painters.

Today it could rightly be claimed that Abie Loy Kemarre is arguably one of the most talented and exciting young Indigenous artists - or for that matter, discipline, innovation and technique.

Her reputation has partly been established by her astonishing attention to detail and fine dotting. Right from the beginning she demonstrated artistic talent and technical skill with batik and canvas. While she is amongst the top contemporary painters in the country her subject matter is traditional. Bush Turkey Dreaming, Bush Leaves, Bush Hen and Body Paint.

The female Bush Bush Hen walking, eating her way through, and sometimes flying through her ancestral country. As the Bush Hen walks along, she eats her favourite fruit, the desert raisin.

The other major Dreaming is the Bush Leaf. This is an inheritance from Abie's father's side. The bush leaf grows in a swamp near some sandhills close to the Utopia region in Abie's grandfather's country and it is known for its wonderful curative properties. These bush leaves can be used to cure a raft of illnesses including colds, headaches, and bad sores. A paste is made from the leaves, which is then rubbed into the affected part of the body. The leaves can also be mixed with water and drunk as a cure for a range of ailments.