Raylene Walatinna

In February, Michael Reid Sydney + Berlin will present our first full-scale solo exhibition from Yankunytjatjara artist Raylene Walatinna. A major force within the dynamic school of First Nations painters at Iwantja Arts in the rocky desert country of Indulkana on the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, Walatinna is the daughter and frequent collaborator of acclaimed artist Betty Chimney, as well as an exceptional talent in her own right.

The mother–daughter duo often works together on collaborative paintings, continuing the custom of older women passing on their knowledge of Tjukurpa (cultural stories) and Ngura (Country) to younger generations. As a solo artist, Walatinna produces only a limited volume of work, making her forthcoming exhibition – her most ambitious project to date – a truly significant occasion.

Revealing the influence of her trailblazing mother – a three-time Wynne Prize finalist and one of the most highly regarded artists represented by the gallery – Walatinna’s work channels the rich tones and elemental rhythms of the desert in a celebration of her family’s enduring connection to Country and Yankunytjatjara cultural history.

Her forthcoming solo exhibition follows a star turn in Heirloom, our Murrurundi gallery’s most recent collaborative exhibition with Country Style magazine, as well as a celebrated showing alongside several of her Iwantja Arts peers in the group exhibition Ngura pilunpa – Peaceful Country at Michael Reid Southern Highlands. “My mum has always been my closest friend. I learnt how to paint from her – she is a very good teacher. Over time, I’ve developed my own way of working too,” says Walatinna in a profile published in Country Style’s 2025 Art Issue alongside the opening of Heirloom. “My paintings are different to my mum’s – even though we are often painting the same Country. Our shapes usually connect in different ways, and we have different ideas on how to use colour.”

Both artists begin with the Tjukitji (soakage) and the Iwantja Creek, sites of profound importance to Yankunytjatjara people. “It is a landscape that’s deeply embedded in their family history,” writes Hannah James in Country Style. “Raylene recalls travelling as a child while her father worked as a stockman at various cattle stations.”

Works from Raylene Walatinna’s forthcoming presentation are now available to preview digitally and in person by request. To receive a preview catalogue, book a private viewing at Michael Reid Sydney or register early acquisition interest, please email danielsoma@michaelreid.com.au