150-25 – Sister’s Story – ANGIE TOPSY TCHOOGA

Artist : ANGIE TOPSY TCHOOGA
Title : Sister’s Story
Size/Medium : 762 x 508mm: acrylic on canvas Painting

Angie is a reliable and active member of the community of Balgo.

She was born at Sturt Creek Station where she was raised by elders of the Tjaru people.

She attended school at the Old Balgo Mission. When she completed her schooling Angie returned to Sturt Creek to work as a domestic. She has fond memories of taking the children out on bush trips during this period.

Angie met her husband Jimmy on the station and they travelled to Balgo to marry. They have been married since 1972 and have five sons, one daughter and many many grandchildren. Jimmy and Angie would often migrate between Sturt Creek and Balgo, this was until one son fell ill and they moved permanently to Balgo to be close to the clinic.

Angie has lived in Balgo for about 20 years and misses the country of Sturt Creek, however she is still able to visit her country for hunting and fishing.

Angie started painting in 1988 and her themes include waterlilies and the Tjurrkupa snake. 

Jimmy and Angie Tchooga are a strong team. They paint collaboratively after they worked for a long time as solo artists. Jimmy creates bold lines and Angie complements his work with fine dotting. Together they make strong painting.

In this painting,Angie has painted stories passed to her by her sister Napanangka (dec).

Her sister grew up traditionally, living and hunting with her family on ancestral lands around Kintore, in the surrounding desert between the Northern Territory and Western Australia. This painting portrays the story of her Country west of the salt lake of Karrkurutinjinya (Lake Macdonald).

The parallel lines represent the tali (sandhills) of that country whilst the U shapes represent women hunting in that country.