Nganampa Waltja Tjukurpa: Our Family Tjukurpa
Presented in association with Tjala Arts, Amata, APY Lands, SA 3 – 27 July 2019
Image: Sylvia Kanytjupai Ken, Seven Sisters, Acrylic on linen, 300 x 122 cm
Nganampa Waltja Tjurkpa – Our Family Tjukurpa is a new exhibition by senior Tjala Arts in conjunction with Aboriginal & Pacific Art. Artists featured include Sylvia Ken – the recent Wynne Prize winner, alongside senior artists Wawiriya Burton, Mick Wikilyiri, Nyunmiti Burton, family collaboratives by Mona Mitakiki, Naomi Kantjuriny and Tjimpayi Presley and works by emerging artists Stanley Douglas and Freda Brady. Born in Amata in 1960, Sylvia is known for her luminous paintings and subtle gradations in colour that depict the Seven Sisters Story, an important Tjukurpa story of the region. Her family are traditional owners for significant sites where the Seven Sister’s Story takes place and her works refer to the story, the landscape and the characters in the story. “I think about my story from looking at the sky. I listen to the old people’s stories and I think about these stories and then ideas come from my paintings. I listened to my mother and father, my grandmother and grandfather. I listen when they are talking about Tjukurpa and telling creation stories and when they say to me, ‘no you should paint this way, the Seven Sisters.’ I listen and they show me, like this way and that way.” Sylvia Ken. Tjala Arts is located in Amata community, in far north-west South Australia on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. Established in 1997, Tjala Arts is a professional art making studio where culture is celebrated and maintained by Anangu across three generations. Tjala artists are known for their rich colourful palettes and vibrant mark making, and the art centres boasts an exciting exhibition program supporting established, mid careers and emerging artists. Tjala Arts has launched the careers of many artists including Wawiriya Burton, Mick Wikilyiri, Sylvia Ken, Nyunmiti Burton, Barbara Moore and the five Ken Sisters – Tjungkara Ken, Yaritji Young, Freda Brady, Sandra Ken and Maringka Tunkin. Artists working here embrace a variety of mediums including paintings, works on paper, punu (wood work) and tjanpi (fibre weaving) and new media and are renowned for their reputation of artistic excellence and innovative projects. Recent achievements from the Tjala studio include the 2016 Wynne Prize win by the Ken Sisters at the AGNSW, the 34th NATSIAA Telstra Prize overall win for the Frank Young, Anwar Young and Rhonda Dick for their collaborative multimedia work Kulata Tjuta - Wati Kulunypa Tjukurpa and Sylvia Ken recently winning the prestigious 2019 Wynne Prize for her painting Seven Sisters.
Sylvia Kanytjupai Ken Seven Sisters #130-19 Acrylic on linen 122 x 300 cm
Wawiriya Burton Ngayuku ngura - My Country #206-19 Acrylic on linen 122 x198 cm
Wawiriya Burton Ngayuku ngura - My Country #207-19 Acrylic on linen 122x152.5cm
Wawiriya Burton Ngayuku ngura - My Country #208-19 Acrylic on linen 152.5 x 198 cm
Sylvia Kanytjupai Ken Seven Sisters #243-19 Acrylic on linen 122 x 198 cm
Sylvia Kanytjupai Ken Seven Sisters #217-19 Acrylic on linen 122 x 152.5cm
Sylvia Ken Seven Sisters #281-19 Acrylic on linen 122 x 198cm
Sylvia Ken Seven Sisters #291-19 Acrylic on linen 101.5x122cm
Sylvia Ken Seven Sisters #369-18 Acrylic on linen 122 x 152.5cm
Mitakiki Women's Collaborative Seven Sisters #246-19 Acrylic on linen 122 x 198 cm
Mitakiki Women's Collaborative Seven Sisters #241-19 Acrylic on linen 197 x 198 cm
Freda Brady Seven Sisters #608-18 Acrylic on linen 122 x 152.5cm
Nyunmiti Burton Ngayuku ngura - My Country #247-19 Acrylic on linen 122 x 152.5 cm
Stanley Douglas Seven Sisters #248-19 Acrylic on linen 122 x 152.5 cm
Stanley Douglas Seven Sisters #288-19 Acrylic on linen 101.5 x 122cm
Mick Wikilyiri Ngayuku ngura - My Country #171-19 Acrylic on linen 101.5 x 122cm
ABOUT TJALA ARTS
Tjala Arts was started by the women of Amata in 1997 and was originally called Minymaku Arts, meaning "belonging to women". It was renamed in 2006 to reflect the involvement of Anangu men in the art centre. Tjala Arts is an Aboriginal owned and managed corporation that sells artwork on behalf of its members. Tjala is the Pitjantjatjara word for Honey Ant - a favourite traditional bush food. Tjala is the Tjukurpa or Creation Story for Amata where we are located, in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara/Yankunyjatjara Lands (APY), in the far Northwest of South Australia. “Nganampa Waltja Tjukurpa – Our family Tjukurpa. We have strong women in our family. The Seven Sisters story is about family. It is about family protecting each other and teaching each other. In Anangu culture there are lots of family relationships. We are all Kanguru Pulka (big sisters) to the young women. Like in the Seven Sisters story – we must teach and protect our young sisters. This is like our painting too. When we work together as a family we are learning and teaching each other and our young sisters and daughters. Our art centre is strong because we are teaching our young women this important Tjukurpa.” - Freda Brady, Maringka Tunkin & Tjungkara Ken talking about the Seven Sisters story
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