Allery Sandy Australian, Yinjabarni, b. 1955

Allery Sandy is the daughter of Sandy Andrews and Lila King. She was born in Roebourne, thefourth of eleven children. She has a family of two daughters and a son-Joanne, Donna,andBobby Willis. Allery's first job waswith the Community Welfare sellingsecond-handclothing,followed by running a play group in the community for needy children. In 1986 she wasemployed as the Aboriginal Islander Education worker in Roebourne Pre-primary School,followed in 1990 by teachingher own Yindjibarndi language through a LOTE (LanguagesOther Than English) program. In 2001 she leftthe school and found work with a team ofwomen doing cooking and sewing and she is also involved in the ministry of the AboriginalChurch.Allery started painting in February 2006, enrolling in short courses in painting and design. Shehas a natural talent that has progressed very quickly. Allery loves to paint the landscape of hercountry. She begins her works with an underpainting using sponge and brush workand thenfinishes off with a fine layer of dot work, creating a sense of movement and depth of field onthe canvas. Allery has a number of subjects she likes to paint. She enjoys painting the bushseeds of her country, its creeks and rivers, wildflowers in season and trees that are specific toher Pilbara country. Allery loves to tell stories that were told to her by her father andgrandfather. Her favourite style of painting her country is from an aerial perspective. AllerySandy regularly exhibits in private galleries in Fremantle and Sydney, has won a number ofprizes at the Cossack Art Awards, and is represented in public and private collections. Alleryhas been the Chairperson of Yinjaa-Barni Art since 2006 and is a highly respected member ofthe Yindjibarndicommunity and a passionate communicator of her culture. In 2014, Allery wasboth a SBS off her painting performer and Yindjibarndi language and cultural advisor for theplay, "Hipbone Sticking Out".Allery has a film thatcan beseen on SBS online called Marni (MyPainting Style).