Life in the bush
Born in Alice Springs, Denise spent her early life in Amata Community in the APY lands in South Australia. Her father's country is further south of there, Nibabunna, near Quorn in South Australia.
Denise has lived in Kaltukatjara most of her adult life, but also spends time in Mutijulu community next to Uluru. Denise is a central part of the community in Kaltukatjara. She has been a Director of the art centre and of NPY Women's Council.
A deeply personal and political work
Denise’s works, while drawing inspiration from traditional dotting techniques and central Australian Aboriginal symbols and motifs, weave together stories from contemporary Anangu life.
Her works reference significant moments in recent history such as Lasseter’s ill-fated journey to find gold near Kaltukatjara, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on remote communities, and sociopolitical issues which she sees playing out around her. Denise’s works are expertly composed and executed, but also deeply personal; she accompanies her works with personal essays discussing her emotions, spirituality, and thoughts on the issues she tackles.
“When I’m painting, I’m not painting about other countries or places, or even my country. I’m thinking about and painting about what’s happening in my mind and my heart. When I think, I do a picture. Me and my canvas, we talk to each other.”
— Denise Brady, 2023
“When I’m painting, I’m not painting about other countries or places, or even my country. I’m thinking about and painting about what’s happening in my mind and my heart. When I think, I do a picture. Me and my canvas, we talk to each other. It helps me work out what I’m thinking and feeling. It’s like all my thinking, the canvas sucks it out of my mind and heart and stamps it on the canvas, makes it stable. I’m not talking about outside things, I always talk about how I am feeling and thinking about those things, it all comes from inside me.
I want Anangu to know, to have good memories about stories – maybe your grandparents and family told you those stories - and those stories get passed on for the future. Sometimes story comes from your heart, sometimes your mind, and your mind’s gotta be clear to do a painting like this. Once you do that painting, it comes out of your mind into the picture, where you’ll know ‘This is it. That's me.’
Other people, I want them to learn that when you got worries or sorrow or something, grab a canvas and start doing a painting and all these worries you have in your heart, broken-hearted, it’ll come out, and it’ll make one big picture for you. And you’ll feel happy. Painting is really good to help us to get rid of every worry and memory we are holding, so we don’t have to have trauma. Palya.”