Patsy is wildly contemporary artist, redefining what Aboriginal art is and can be. Patsy was born at Ruby Plains Station in Western Australia and grew up in Balgo Hills Mission. Patsy lives between Balgo and Halls Creek with her children and extended family.

She is the daughter of Mati Mudgedell (c.1935-2002) and is from a large painting family of which her siblings Brian and Marie Mudgedell are successful artists in-their-own-right. Patsy is influenced by her mother’s experimental style. Mati would play with new painting techniques, trying new ways to depict her Kukatja/Ngarti Country. No two Patsy paintings are the same, she is continually evolving and experimenting.

Patsy began her education at the Old Balgo Mission school, she moved to boarding school in Perth to complete her high school education. Patsy later studied Fine Art at the Batchelor Institute, where she learned new art techniques and ways of telling stories.

Patsy uses a range of mediums, including acrylic on canvas, water colours, gouache, charcoal and mixed media on paper. Patsy’s paintings are richly textured, depicting bush food found in her mother’s Country, near Mangkayi, south of Balgo, as well as Ruby Plains Station where she was born. Her works on paper tell stories of contemporary community life. Patsy has illustrated three books through Batchelor Press, the dogs she illustrated in these books were the catalyst for her sell-out feature in Fremantle Art Centre’s 2018 Revealed exhibition. Patsy loves to express her messages and her childhood memories through her artwork. She also feels it is important for the viewer to have their own interpretation of the artwork. Her story-telling involves all of us, she explains:

“My art is entering their life through a cooperative process. They can have faith that they are doing the right thing. They share, I share, we share. That’s how things work out properly.”

Patsy is a talented interpreter in the region, she combines these skills and her visual arts interests to extend into other areas. She was the Balgo coordinator for the Remote Indigenous Broadcasting Services (RIBS formerly BRACS), board member of the Indigenous Community Television (ICTV) and the former Secretary of the Kapululangu Aboriginal Women’s Association (Balgo). She is the foundation member for the Indigenous Remote Communications Association and is an energetic activist for her people. In 2019 Patsy was a Director of the Warlayirti Artists Aboriginal Corporation.

- courtesy of Warlayirti Artists Aboriginal Corporation

Patsy Mudgedell

Untitled

About the artist