Women of Amata
Women of Amata
19 February - 14 March, 2025
Presented by Aboriginal & Pacific Art in association with Tjala Arts, Amata, South Australia.
Front cover image: Naomi Kantjuriny, Minyma Mamu Tjuta #919-24, acrylic on linen, 122 x 152 cm
200 x 200 cm
Janie Kulyuru Lewis
Ngayuka Ngura - My Country #629-24
Acrylic on linen
Women of Amata
Sylvia Ken, Naomi Kantjuriny and Janie Kulyuru. Three women of Amata community, Central desert, South Australia. Naomi Kantjuriny, Sylvia Ken and Janie Kulyuru are prolific painters at Tjala Arts centre. These women are malpa (friends) and each tell very different, rich cultural stories. Growing up in Central Desert communities, they all express the joy in handing down stories passed down through generations.
Sylvia Ken, a prolific contemporary artist, paints the Seven Sisters story, an important dreaming story of Amata region. Sylvia’s work has been acquired by institutions and major collections in Australia and internationally. She has been a multiple finalist at the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards and the finalist and overall winner at the Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2019.
Naomi Kantjuriny, 2024 recipient of the Sulman Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, paints Minyma Mamu Tjuta. This translates to many old spirits, both good and evil. She talks about Mamu appearing in her Dreamtime to teach her grandchildren lessons, they appear as spooky, witty and humorous. Just like her paintings, Naomi is a fun character and well respected elder in community as well as a Ngankari ( traditional healer).
Janie Kulyuru is an exciting young artist, who has had huge success across Australia, participating in Group and Solo Exhibitions over the past 10 years. Janie tells both her father and mother’s Creation story Tjukurpa Waru or fire story. She paints alongside her sister Munu Kulyuru. Her mother’s father’s country, depicting her Tjamu (Grandfather’s) Country of Watarru, homelands located near Amata.
Janie Kulyuru Lewis with her painting, 2024
Sylvia Kanytjupai Ken Seven Sisters #398-23
Acrylic on linen 122 x 198 cm
Naomi Kantjuriny
Minyma Mamu Tjuta #1-25
Acrylic on linen 122 x 122 cm
“The Tjukurpa I am painting is about a mamu’s place... They have got so much hair on their bodies that it looks like fur. I’ve carried the image around in my imagination, I can’t think about any other story. I only paint mamu. That’s all.” - Naomi Kantjuriny
Naomi Kantjuriny depicts Mamu, the malignant, dangerous spirit powers, usually manifesting as monsters, pain or illness, which derive from traditional Anangu Tjukurpa. Mamu is the term to describe both the evil spiritual force itself, as well as material embodiments, which come in various forms and with varying powers.
Sylvia Kanytjupai Ken with her painting, 2024
Sylvia Kanytjupai Ken Seven Sisters #323-22
Acrylic on linen 122 x 198 cm
Naomi Kantjuriny
Minyma Mamu Tjuta #919-24
Acrylic on Belgian Linen
122 x 152 cm
The Mamu Naomi depicts are evil night dwelling spirits, which are on the hunt for the kurunpa (spirits) of those who have left their sleeping bodies. Mamu usually target the vulnerable, interfering with the spirits of children and those who are unwell or suffering.
As a revered ngankeri, a traditional healer, Naomi works with the spirit world to counter mamu in order to treat the sick and protect community, providing wirunymankupai (healing treatments) through what is called mara ala, meaning open hands. Ngangkari (traditional healers) are trained to safely release the mamu from the sick, and to help reunite people with their kurunpa (spirit) stolen by the mamu.
Ngayuku Ngura - My Country #920-24
on Belgian linen 152 x 198 cm
Janie Kulyuru Lewis
Acrylic
Sylvia Kanytjupai Ken Seven Sisters #911-24
Acrylic on linen 122 x 101.5 cm
Naomi Kantjuriny
Minyma Mamu Tjuta #4-25
Acrylic on Belgian linen
122 x 91 cm
Naomi Kantjuriny with her paintings, 2024.
Women of Amata
Presented by Aboriginal & Pacific Art, Sydney, in association with Tjala Arts, Amata, SA
19 February - 14 March 2025
Aboriginal & Pacific Art, 1/24 Wellington Street, Waterloo, NSW, 2017 Australia
Ph: +61 2 9699 2211
E: info@aboriginalpacificart.com.au
W: www.aboriginalpacificart.com.au
All images and text copyright the Artists and the community, Tjala Arts, Amata, SA.