Dulcie Sharpe Australian, Arrente & Luritja, b. 1957

Dulcie Sharpe was born at Hamilton Downs in 1957 and spent many years growing up

there. Her mother was from Papunya and she is a Luritja speaker. Sharpe went to school at Kwale Kwale and says her happiest memories are playing every day after school in the bush and swimming when there was water. It was Sharpe’s grandmother, Old Laddie, who taught her everything about culture: how to find honey ants, bush food, dancing, language. Later Dulcie married and moved to the Yarrenyty Arltere Town Camp to raise her family.

Dulcie has been coming to the Yarrenyty Arltere Learning Centre since 2000 when she helped set it up as a place for her community to get well again from the chronic social issues it was facing at that time. Dulcie wanted to create a safe place for the children and adults to find new pathways into the future by holding on strongly to culture and learning together. 25 years later she is a leader and role model for her community showcasing her quiet strength and determination by the things she does daily in her life: work, art, caring for family, championing and sharing culture and language, and lifting others up.

Dulcie began her art career as a textile artist. Sewing together the stories of herchildhood out bush and her too often challenging life living on the Yarrenyty Arltere Town Camp. Initially making raw and uncomplicated soft sculpture animals and figures, the art room was as much a place for healing as it was for making art. Soon, however Dulcie’s work became more sophisticated and embellished as her skills grew and her love of colour and mark making developed into more intricate stitching and storytelling.

Later her sister, Mrs. T Inkamala, joined her in the art room. Side by side these two charismatic sisters sat and worked, told stories and brought strength and pride to the community. After her sister died Dulcie put down her sewing needle and picked up the paint brush to make works on paper, like her sister had. Now the memories of her beautiful sculptures come to life with the stroke of her brush instead of the rhythm of her needle. Her works on paper have quickly become highly desirable. Her solo exhibition at Laundry Gallery in 2024 was a sellout show. Dulcie’s works on paper are not showy, but they have a gentle strong presence that shines and captivates quietly and beautifully, just like she does.