Different styles and techniques

Besides different individual styles and subject matter preferences, emu egg designs vary between language groups. Anthropologist Sylvia Kleinert has documented that:

Paakantji artists, such as Gordon Mitchell of western New South Wales, produce visual narratives composed of silhouettes that run around eggs
while neighbouring Wiradjuri artists, of central New South Wales, more typically produce realistic cameo-like pictures on one or two sections of an egg

The designs are achieved by maximising the use of the many colour tones found in the shells. Some artists carve portraits into emu eggs while others prefer to focus on animal life or scenes that illustrate some aspect of Aboriginal or pan-Australian history. Many artists ‘see’ the picture in the egg before they start carving while others sketch out or think through their designs in detail beforehand. Kamillaroi artist Bill Reid, from northen New South Wales, illuminated many of his eggs with a small light bulb positioned inside, the electrical cord running through the stand.

kalthi paarti

Different styles and techniques