Edward (Eddie) Taita Blitner is a Mara/Alawa man from Naiyarindji country in the Northern Territory. He lived for many years at the Ngukurr community (now called Yugul Mangi) on the Roper River, 70 km inland from the Gulf of Carpentaria in south-east Arnhem Land. He attended Concordia College in Adelaide until he was 16 years old and as a young man worked as a stockman and farmhand. He learned to paint from the age of seven – his grandfathers taught him to blend ochre, carve, and passed on to him the stories of the work they were doing. According to his artist statement on the website for Darwin’s Aboriginal Fine Arts Gallery, “My grandfathers, Fred, Gerry and Donald would be painting or carving and we kids would sit around them and watch them grind the ochres and mix the colours, after a while he would tell us the story for that particular painting and also teach us the songs and dance for that story. When he was in a very good mood, he let us paint the sides of the bark painting, that was my start”.
Eddie’s father, Walter Blitner, is also a well-known carver and painter. Eddie Blitner paints with natural ochre effects on canvas in his own unique style. He is also a wood carver. His art is sold through galleries in Alice Springs, Katherine and Darwin.
- Writers:
- Brown, Stephen K.
- Date written:
- 2007
- Last updated:
- 2010
