• Ink on Indian rag paper
• Dimensions: 104 x 77 cm (unframed)
• Cat No. 115-23
• This work was a finalist in the 2023 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards 

Dulcie Sharpe is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist. Her work is held in private and public collections around Australia and she has been a finalist numerous awards including the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Awards 

Dulcie Sharpe was born at Hamilton Downs in 1957 and spent many years growing up there. Her mother was from Papunya and she is a Luritja speaker. Sharpe went to school at Kwale Kwale and says her happiest memories are playing every day after school in the bush and swimming when there was water. 

It was Sharpe’s grandmother, Old Laddie, who taught her everything about culture: how to find honey ants, bush tucker, dancing, language. Sharpe has been coming to the Yarrenyty Arltere Learning Centre since 2000 when she helped set it up as a place for her community to get well again from the chronic social issues it was facing. Sharpe wanted to create a safe place for the kids and for the adults to find new pathways into the future by holding on strongly to culture and learning together. Sharpe says she loves sewing.

She sews after work on the weekend and even in hospital. Sharpe has now started doing ink on paper, following her sister Trudy Inkamala with this medium. Her images on paper speak of her sculptures and are a beautiful transition from one skill to another. She is a respected elder of the community and a positive role model for other artists.

"When you see all the birds gathering, it’s like when all my family are with each other feeling happy. Talking and laughing, like me and my sister Trudy. When I made this, I was thinking of me and my sister Trudy talking and catching up when I go to visit her on the weekend at Kwale Kwale. That is where I grew up and was really happy in the bush with Trudy and my other family. I go there now on the weekend to see Trudy because she doesn’t come to the art room anymore because she is getting really old and tired.

She likes to sit out there at Kwale Kwale and watch all the kids and the birds and feel happy with all her family near her. The art room is a good place too for being with each other, I sit in Trudy’s spot now and do these paintings like Trudy did too and I do my sewing on the weekend, because sewing keeps me settled down. Trudy used to tell so many stories in the art room about olden days, and everyone in Alice Springs. She made us all laugh with her stories. She knows everyone and everything about this place. She used to scream at us all a lot for tobacco too. We really miss Trudy in the art room so I thought to make this like me and Trudy, two birds telling story."