Three Ladies on a Log

Kunyi McInerney’s paintings recount her time at the Oodnadatta Mission Children’s Home as a member of the Stolen Generation.  

She was the winner of the Queensland Literary Award for the Children's section in 2022 for her book 'Kunyi’, which tells the story of what life was like for her growing up. 

McInerney says of her work:  

‘These are my stories from a dry remote place where my experiences were so different from what Australian children know today. I want to tell my story, so they don’t ever do it again. They took away my family, my culture and who I could have been. These are not fairy tales. They are true and I want people to understand.’ 

McInerney is a self-taught artist and a master of the use of vibrant colours. This work is a beautiful example of her use of bright pigment and captivating sorrowful facial expressions that share the story of her past. Three Ladies on a Log is a sweet memory, from a bitter time. 

‘In the 1950s, people from Adelaide would send up colourful clothes to the Oodnadatta Children's Home. I loved it when they came into the Children's Home to pick out the clothes as we kids weren't usually allowed to see our families.’ - Kunyi McInerney