Betty Conway was born in 1956 at Urrampinyi/Tempe Downs Station, NT, which she frequently depicts in her paintings. Despite being sent away during her schooling years and later displaced when all Aboriginal people at Tempe Downs were turned away from the station, Conway remains very connected to her Country, and visits often. She is a Traditional Owner and knows all the Women’s Tjukurrpa (Dreaming) sites. Through her frequent trips with family, work trips with the Central Land Council and subsequent painting of these lived experiences, Conway is reclaiming her Country. Currently residing in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) Conway joined Tangentyere Artists in 2006 where she developed a distinctive style of figurative landscape painting. Conway works with rich colours and manipulates both proportions and perspectives to create illustrative works which tell first-hand stories of experiences on Country. She paints the hive of activity at the permanent water source of Illari Spring; horses drinking and children swimming, looking for goanna, and what happens when the car runs out of diesel; “we camp anyway”. Her artworks detail the important role of senior women in teaching, educating, and sharing culture through storytelling. Conway’s work is held by the Art Gallery of South Australia, Artbank and Araluen Art and Cultural Precinct as well as in many private collections.
