Angelina was born in Kalumburu and has lived in Kalumburu all her life. Her mum is famous artist Lily Karadada and her father is Jack Karadada, who was a medicine man and would make artefacts like didgeridoo and spears for hunting.
"My mum used to paint on bark, bush baskets and Numarrga (bush cradle). I learnt two languages from my parents, plus other languages in my life."
In Karadada's recent series "Wandjina Emerging", the artist explores traditional painting mediums of white ochre, both saltwater and freshwater, which she collects herself and natural resin which she collects from the white gum tree. Laborious and strenuous activities, the artist considers the process important in connecting to her ancestors while creating extraordinary Wandjina paintings of luminous pale pink and chalky white with earthy texture.
Not only an excellent painter, Angelina is employed as a Senior Arts Worker at Kira Kiro Artists. She graduated from the ANKA Arts Worker Foundation Training Program and the National Gallery of Australia Wesfarmers Indigenous Leadership Fellowship in 2019.
"I want to challenge myself to achieve my best. I think it is important for my whole community to have someone committed to the arts. I love doing art and running the art centre. The art centre is very important for the community and for the younger generation to come and learn if they want to be an artist. My goal is to run Kira Kiro Artists, so I am the main person responsible for daily activities. The younger girls come to me and ask for advice and how they can progress with their paintings and their art career. I enjoy providing them guidance and advice. I am training to run this art centre independently with a local Indigenous arts worker team. In five years time I will be there at the art centre with my grandchildren and teaching them culture too. It will be my responsibility to look after the art centre and to teach all the young people making them go the right way.”
