Benita Cavanagh

Born:                 1975

Language:          Arrernte

Skin Name:        Kemarre

Community:        Ltyentye Apurte

Dreaming:          Kwatye (water)

Benita Cavenagh is part of a family who have strong ties to the land and to her family's traditional stories. She has painted for Keringke at various times during the years of the art centre operating at Ltyentye Apurte and is a fluid and talented artist. She is well respected in her community and works on the local radio, keeping everyone in touch over the airwaves.

Benita’s painting is entitled “Rainbow Dreaming – Mpwelarre Altyerre”.

To quote from Benita:

“This painting that I have done is great and I love painting and also it tells that when I put the small dots it’s making me feel like doing a dreaming story about my dreams and I can tell the meaning of it and the patterns and the lines tells more about the dreams and the dreaming.

Because the rainbow is the dreaming of the rain and the yellow means the colour of the witch doctor (healer) those dots and the colours and lines represent the small snakes and rainbow dreaming.