Therese Ryder

Born: 1946 – 2023

Language Group: Eastern Arrernte (Aranda)

Country: Santa Teresa, South East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Medium: Watercolour on Board

Subjects: Women Collecting Merne Alangkwe (Bush Banana), Merne Atwakeye (Wild Orange), Angkwerrpme (Mistletoe), Merne Alangkwe (Bush Banana), Uluru, Ntang (Edible Seeds), Untitled Landscapes.

Therese was born at Todd River Station where her father Jack worked mustering cattle and her mother Nancy as a cook. Her father's country is Loves Creek, N'Dhala Gorge, Trephina Gorge, Corroboree Rock and Williams Well; the Arrernte name for this country is Pwanya. Her mothers country is Titjikala but she was born at Maryvale Station. The family travelled frequently until, when she was between the ages of 6 and 7, they moved to Santa Theresa Mission (which is now the Ltyentye Apurte Community). It is not known what caused the move to the mission but, while there, Therese had to live in the dormitories with the other children, away from her parents. While at the mission, and from a young age, she was taught to paint in watercolour which remained her primary medium although she did sometimes incorporate traditional dot-style works.

About her painting Ryder stated that:

    "My paintings are east of Alice Springs, around Ross River, my father's country. Aboriginal people must paint their country and their stories."

— Therese Ryder, Aboriginal Dream

In 1978 Therese moved to Alice Springs where she began working with the Institute for Aboriginal Development, in the language department, where she worked on the "Central And Eastern Arrernte Dictionary" which was published in 1994 and also worked for Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College (a Catholic high school) teaching the Arrernte language.

In addition to this language work she continued to work as an artist, through Iltja Ntjarra Many Hands Art Centre "the home of the Namatjira watercolour artist" and discovered that Albert Namatjira was a distant uncle on her mother's side. Therese achieved success as an artist and her works are part of many major national collections and she has been exhibited throughout Australia.

Following this, in 2017, Therese wrote and illustrated Ayeye thipe-akerte: Arrernte stories about birds, which shared her appreciation for country and the birds that live there; in this she writes about the birds' songs and their role in being both messengers and food.

Therese worked with other linguistics to supply language information and expertise.

Exhibitions

1988 Pmere - Country in Mind, Arrernte Landscape Painters, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT

1989 The Sixth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT

1989 A Myriad of Dreaming: Twentieth Century Aboriginal Art, Westpac Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

1991 Heritage of Namatjira, Flinders University Art Museum, Bedford Park, SA

1991 Aboriginal Women's Exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW

1992-1993 Heritage of Namatjira, Flinders University Art Museum, Bedford Park, SA

1993 Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Exhibition, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT

2002-2004 Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions