CROSSING COUNTRY

PAINTINGS

AND SCULPTURAL OBJECTS C R O S S I N G

COUNTRY

BY FIRST NATIONS ARTISTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians, the Nyoongar people of the Wadjuk nation on whose land we live and work, and pay our respects to Elders, past, present and future

C R O S S I N G

Warlukurlangu Artists

Martumili Artists

Tjarlirli & Kaltukatjara

Art

Hermannsburg Potters

Ninuku Arts

Yarrernyty Arltere Artists

Front & back cover: Renae Fox, Wati Ngintaka Tjukurrpa (Ninuku Arts)

O U N T R Y

Artitja Fine Art Gallery is proud to present an exhibition of paintings, pottery and soft sculptures crossing vast tracts of country Soft sculptures from the renowned Yarrenyty Arltere Artists and ceramics from the Hermannsburg Potters offer glimpses of life on country, alongside paintings from art centres from the tri-border states (WA/NT/SA) through to the Pilbara region

OPENING

Friday 9 June | 6-8pm

EXHIBITION RUNS

Saturday 10 June Sunday 2 July

Wed to Sun | 10am-4pm

Earlywork

330 South Terrace, South Fremantle, WA

View online wwwartitjacomau

MARTUMILI ARTISTS

Martumili Artists was established in late 2006 and supports Martu artists in Kunawarritji, Punmu, Parnngurr, Jigalong, Warralong,Irrungadji (Nullagine) and Parnpajinya (Newman).

Many Martu artists have close relationships with established artists amongst Yulparija, Kukatja and other Western Desert peoples and are now gaining recognition in their own right for their diverse, energetic and unmediated painting styles Their works reflect the dramatic geography and scale of their homelands in the Great Sandy Desert and Rudall River regions of Western Australia.

Martumili Artists represents speakers of Manyjilyjarra, Warnman, Kartujarra, Putijarra and Martu Wangka languages, many of whom experienced first contact with Europeans in the 1960s The artists include painters, working in acrylics and oils, as well as weavers coiling baskets and sculptors working in wood, grass and wool.

Martu artists proudly maintain their creative practices whilst pursuing social and cultural obligations across the Martu homelands.

MARIANNE BURTON

Marianne was born in Jigalong, moving briefly to Camp 61, an outstation on Bilanooka Station as a child, before settling in Punmu Community, where she still resides Her father was senior Martu artist Pukina Burton Marianne and her father used to sit down together, painting while Pukina told stories about his Country. One day Marianne would like to teach her children and grandchildren the same stories; “Me and [my granddaughter] Azaniah like painting together, sometimes she helps me too. Sometimes my grandson Jake too, he did a couple I like having my family around to paint”

Yalta is a waterhole located between the Great Sandy Desert's Percival Lakes region and Kunawarritji Aboriginal community This site was visited by the Ngayurnangalku (cannibals) during the Jukurrpa (Dreaming) These fearsome ancestral cannibal beings are said to resemble people in their appearance except for their fangs and long curved knife like fingernails they use to catch and hold their human victims The Ngayurnangalku continue to live beneath the crust of Kumpupirntily (Kumpupintily Lake Disappointment) south east of Yalta.

Yalta lies within Marianne’s ngurra (home Country camp) through her grandmother and mother The site is especially significant to her as it was here that her mother was born

This is my grandmother’s and mother's Country, Yalta. It’s very close to Kunawarritji side. I’ve never been there. That was where my mother was born during the pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) times. All the tali (sandhills) around. I want to go there one day, to see that Country, I might go there one day.

Marianne Burton | Punmu | acrylic on canvas | 91 x 61cm | ART22-1221MB

Punmu refers to a region and an Aboriginal community within its vicinity located 670 kilometres North-East of Newman. Created during the return to Country movement of the 1980s , with the recognition of Martu land rights and native title the community was named after a nearby Jukurrpa (Dreaming) story

Punmu Aboriginal community sits on the edge of a large salt lake known as Nyayartakujarra or Lake Dora The lake runs south into Karlamilyi River (Rudall River) Surrounding Punmu are numerous fresh water soaks and the red tali (sandhills) typical of the area The most frequently visited yinta (permanent springs) around Punmu include Wirlarra , Rawa , Yilyara, Jila-jila and Tuu-tuu

The Country around Punmu features in several Jukurrpa stories. Of particular importance is the story of the Jila Kujarra (Two Snakes), one of the key Jukurrpa narratives for the Martu Though the story belongs to Warnman people it is shared across the Western Desert with several other language groups The narrative centres on the travels of two snakes as they are pursued by the Niminjarra spiritual ancestors of the Warnman people

Before transforming themselves into snakes , the Jila Kujarra were young brothers As snakes they began travelling home to their mother , but were intercepted by the Niminjarra, who tracked the Jila Kujarra to Paji, east of Nyayartakujarra (Lake Dora)

Though the Jila Kujarra eluded their pursuers here by escaping under the lake at Paji, they were soon after speared and injured by two Pukurti (initiates with bundled hair) at Nyayartakujarra, who returned with the Niminjarra to cook the snakes at the site of Kumpupirntily (Kumpupintily Lake Disappointment)

As the Niminjarra cut down the length of the Jila Kujarra, the snake’s bladders were pierced, causing an explosion of scalding hot urine in which the Niminjarra all perished and became black rocks at the site

The spirits of the Jila Kujarra returned to their mother at Nyayartakujarra, where the mother and her sons entered the ground below Nyayartakujarra and remain to this day

Marianne Burton | Punmu Waterholes | acrylic on canvas | 122 x 76cm | ART22-1446MB

I was young, thirteen or something, when I came to Punmu. I like to paint around Punmu rockholes , springs. In the morning, sunset colours , that’s what I’m thinking about. In the plane looking down , I want to do a painting what I’m looking at , it looks nice. I want to do more painting like that. I like painting, it makes me feel good.

NANCY NYANJILPAYI (NGARNJAPAYI) CHAPMAN

Nyanjilpayi is a Manyjilyjarra woman, born in the 1940s at Jarntinti, a large claypan at the southern end of Nyayartakujarra (Lake Dora) and within the Karlamilyi (Rudall River) region She is the sister of fellow senior Martumili Artists Mulyatingki Marney, Mayiwalku Chapman and Marjorie Yates (dec) As children, Nyanjilpayi and her family walked around the Punmu, Kunawarritji (Canning Stock Route Well 33) and Karlamilyi regions A severe and prolonged drought extended through many years during this formative period in her life, and Nyanjilpayi remembers this as a difficult time Although her family knew about the mission at Jigalong, where a supply of rationed food and water was assured, they chose to continue to live nomadically and independently for many years

Jutupa is a waterhole located yulparirra (south) of Punmu Aboriginal Community, and at the southern edge of Nyayartakujarra (Ngayarta Kujarra Lake Dora) The site falls within the Karlamilyi (Rudall River) region, an area created by the Jila Kujarra (Two Snakes) as they journeyed north east to Nyayartakujarra Surrounding Jutupa are the distinctive long tali (sandhills) of Martu Country Other nearby water sources include Pinjupinya, Wawul , Tarl , and Jarntinti

This site lies within Nyanjilpayi’s ngurra (home Country, camp), the area which she travelled extensively around with her family as a young girl Nyanjilpayi recollects staying here as a child with her two Sisters Mayiwalku May Chapman and Mulyatingki Marney, her brother , father and three mothers Here they would collect kalaru (Samphire, salt bush) seed In the pujiman (traditional desert dwelling) era the black kalaru seeds were used to produce damper, a type of flat bread. The seeds were first washed several times before being ground with a jiwa (stones used by women for grinding seeds) to make a flour which was then mixed with water to create a dough that was finally cooked in the ashes of a fire

I'm working on my painting of those waterholes , I was drinking from them long ago as a pujiman. My family's water , my grandmother's, my grandfathers and my ancestors. I was taught from them. Our knowledge is ancient and has been passed on by our grandparents. Young people need to keep looking after it.

Nancy Nyanjilpayi (Ngarnjapayi) Chapman | Jutupa | acrylic on canvas | 61 x 46cm | ART23-87NC

(Ngarnjapayi)

Yirrajarra comprises of two soaks situated near Lake Auld , and north of Tiwa (Canning Stock Route Well 26) As the site of a continuous source of good fresh water , surrounded by plentiful puri (shade) Yirrajarra was an important semi-permanent camping ground during the pujiman era. This site lies within Nyanjilpayi’s ngurra through her grandfather, and forms part of the area which she knew intimately and travelled extensively with her mother , father and two sisters in her youth.

During the pujiman period, Martu would traverse very large distances annually in small family groups, moving seasonally from water source to water source , and hunting and gathering bush tucker as they went At this time knowledge of water sources was critical for survival , and today Martu Country is still defined in terms of the location and type of water Each of the hundreds of claypans, rockholes waterholes soaks and springs found in the Martu desert homelands is known by name , location , quality and seasonal availability through real life experience and the recounting of Jukurrpa (Dreaming) narratives

Yirrajarra, good name. [In the] winter time , cold time , you gotta have a look. One side two claypan, another side soak water. Jamu mili [my grandfather's] Country. I been walking there with my mummy, daddy, [and my sisters] Mayiwalku [May Chapman], Mulyatingki [Marney]. All walking around pujiman time.

NANCY NYANJILPAYI (NGARNJAPAYI)

CHAPMAN & MAYIKA CHAPMAN

Nyayartakujarra is a vast and culturally significant salt lake located in the north east section of the Karlamilyi River region. Surrounding Nyayartakujarra are numerous fresh water soaks and the red tali (sandhills) typical of the area Punmu Aboriginal Community, where Nyanjilpayi lives today, lies on the eastern edge of the lake

Nyayartakujarra is an important site in the Jila Kujarra (Two Snakes) Jukurrpa (Dreaming)

narrative

Nancy Nyanjilpayi (Ngarnjapayi) Chapman and Mayika Chapman

Nyayartakujarra (Lake Dora) | acrylic on canvas

76 x 46cm | ART23-180coll

This painting shows Nyayartakujarra (Lake Dora) and the waterholes. In pujiman days we all walked from waterhole to waterhole. We were travelling around for a long time; we were all naked! We grew up walking all around these waterholes. This painting is a map from that time. All of these waterholes are still here , with all of the songs and all of the dances. We are still singing and dancing for this Country.

quote by Mantararr (Muntararr) Rosie Williams (dec ), Jakayu Biljabu, Yikartu Bumba, Nyanjilpayi (Ngarnjapayi) Nancy Chapman, Mulyatingki Marney, Mayiwalku May Chapman, and Reena Rogers

Martu people identify with their ' ngurra ' (home Country, camp) in terms of specific rights and responsibilities, and the possession of intimate knowledge of the physical and cultural properties of one ’ s Country Painting ngurra, and in so doing sharing the Jukurrpa (Dreaming) stories and physical characteristics of that place, has today become an important means of cultural maintenance

Image: studio at Martumili Artists, 2023

Photo courtesy Artitja Fine Art Gallery

LORNA LINMURRA

Lorna was born in Port Hedland In more recent years she moved to Warralong Community with her family, where she remains today Warralong community is located 120 kilometres south east of Port Hedland and 50 kilometres north of Marble Bar in the Pilbara The community lies between the Shaw and De Grey Rivers

This is Lorna’s Country her ‘ ngurra ’ Portrayed in this work are features of Lorna’s ngurra, such as the dominant permanent red tali (sandhills) warta (trees, vegetation), and the individually named water sources she and her family camped at

Lorna Linmurra | Untitled | acrylic on linen | 121 x 91cm | ART22-1667LL

I was born in Hedland hospital. I grew up, Marble Bar area , we were staying there with nomad people, I was going to school. Nomad people would take us everywhere. We then went to Roebourne , everywhere we go. I started working making tins for lollies , for a few years I did. We didn’t know anything [then], we were young people.

WILSON MANDIJALU

Kulyakartu is a large area in the far north of the Martu homelands , near the Percival Lakes region of Western Australia's Great Sandy Desert Kulyakartu is mostly flat grass Country and is known as a good hunting area In particular, parnajarrpa (goanna), wild cats , and lunki (witchetty grub) are found in abundance here In the wantajarra (wet season) the dry lakes in the region fill with water Wilson Mandijalu | Kulyakartu | acrylic on canvas 91 x 61cm | ART22-239WM

All the grandparents, old people were painting. I would sit down and watch them paint. I was thinking that I could do painting like them. I paint mainly Country—desert area , Kulyakartu.

BUGAI WHYOULTER

Bugai is a Kartujarra woman and a senior custodian of the lands surrounding Kunawarritji (Canning Stock Route Well 33) She was born in the 1940s at Pukayiyirna, on present day Balfour Downs Station, though her parents soon travelled northward with her through Jigalong and Nullagine toward Kunawarritji

She grew up, walked and hunted with her parents, younger sister Pinyirr Nancy Patterson (dec.), and extended family, primarily travelling around the eastern side of the Karlamily (Rudall River) region and along the midsection of the Canning Stock Route, from Kartarru (Canning Stock Route Well 24) to Kunawarritji (Canning Stock Route Well 33)

As a young woman Bugai travelled up and down large tracts of the 1850km long Canning Stock Route, where she and her husband met and walked with cattle drovers

Bugai is considered one of most established Martumili Artists, and is known as a master of colour, gesture and subtlety Her self reflective works are layered with distinctively delicate brushmarks, with subtle colour changes representing landmarks, water sources, and desert flora

Bugai's work was selected for the 2019, 2018 and 2013 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, the 2012 Bankwest Contemporary Art Prize and Hedland Art Award, and the 2010 Western Australian Indigenous Art Award. Bugai won the General Painting’ award at the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 2021

She has held regular solo exhibitions, and her work has been acquired by several major institutions in Australia, including The National Museum of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, and Queensland Art Gallery’s Gallery of Modern Art

This is Bugai’s Country her ‘ ngurra ’ Bugai’s ngurra encompasses the Country that she and her family walked in the pujiman (traditional, desert-dwelling) era At this time Bugai travelled nomadically with her own and other family groups, most notably the Bidu family The Country they traversed encompassed an enormous tract of land , with an aerial distance of more than 600 kilometres , from present day Balfour Downs Station to Kunawarritji (Canning Stock Route Well 33)

Bugai Whyoulter | Untitled | acrylic on linen | 122 x 91cm | ART23-55BW

I learnt how to paint in Kunawarritji; I’ve been painting here. I go to Punmu , Jigalong and Parnngurr, but I always go home to Kunawarritji. I learnt how to paint in Kunawarritji.

[When I was young] I was walking around Kunawarritji and Kun Kun , looking for meat with Jakayu and her family.

Kunawarritji is an important site in the Great Sandy Desert where multiple stories and histories intersect. Bugai grew up, walked and hunted primarily around Punmu , Kunawarritji and Kun Kun

Bugai Whyoulter | Kunawarritji (Canning Stock Route Well 33) acrylic on linen | 152 x 106cm | ART16-700BW

Wantili which forms the focus of much of Bugais work , is a large round jurnu (soak) and linyji (claypan) near Well 25 on the Canning Stock Route

Culturally, Wantili is an incredibly important site , "where the creation started" (cit Cyril Whyoulter, Bugai's grandson) In this creation story the world was initially dark and people were like rocks , with no arms or legs Following the sun ’ s first rising, life-forms become increasingly complex while particular features in the land are created Beyond these details much of the Jukurrpa narrative relating to Wantili is ngurlu (sacred, taboo), and only for Martu , but the site is open, and anyone can go there

Wantili is especially significant to Bugai as it was here that she saw whitefellas for the first time; drovers with their cattle travelling along the Canning Stock Route

Wantili is also one of the many sites featured in the epic Minyipuru (Jakulyukulyu, Seven Sisters) Jukurrpa story

Bugai Whyoulter | Wantili (Warntili, Canning Stock Route Well 25) | acrylic on linen | 91 x 91cm ART21-874BW

I was just becoming a teenager, still travelling around with my mother and father. We were at Juntu-juntu, Wuranu , Raarki , Tiwa and Wantili. At Wantili we killed a cow , they were bringing cattle through from Kunawarritji … Wantili was a good place to make yakapiri (woven bark sandals).

Bugai Whyoulter, as translated by Ngalangka Nola Taylor

We were climbing Parnngurr hill; we were frightened. Kartiya (Europeans) would walk around , trying to catch Martu people. We would run up the hill and hide. We watched them catch people. We were eating flour that white people gave us. It was horrible. From [Parnngurr rockhole], we got in the truck and went with the white people to Jigalong. Kumpaya [Girgirba], Jakayu [Biljabu] and Ngamaru [Bidu]—we were all on top of the hill looking at the white people.

Parnngurr rockhole is located just south of Parnngurr Aboriginal community This site lies within Bugai’s ngurra Parnngurr and its surrounds are physically dominated by distinctively red tali (sandhills), covered sparingly with spinifex and low lying shrub

For many Martu including Bugai Parnngurr also signifies the location at which their nomadic bush life came to an end Poignantly described by Bugai, it was here that a group of 29 Martu were picked up by the Native Welfare Department to be taken to Jigalong Mission in 1963 Collectively the group had come to the decision to move to the mission as a result of an extended drought which had caused a scarcity in food and water resources The group also wanted to join their families , who had already moved to Jigalong

Parnngurr is also an important site for the epic Jukurrpa (Dreaming) story of the jakulyukulyu, or Minyipuru Seven Sisters)

Bugai Whyoulter | Parnngurr Rockhole | acrylic on canvas | 91 x 91cm | ART21-1095BW

TJARLIRLI & KALTUKATJARA ART

Tjarlirli Art Indigenous Corporation represents the artists of Tjukurla in the Ngannyatjarra lands of Western Australia and Kaltukatjara in the Northern Territory. The artwork has strong links with the Papunya Tula movement as families left Kintore and Kiwirrkurra to return to their homelands in the mid 1980s

Established in 2006, Tjarlirli Art has been recognised as a source of culturally significant work

Tjarlirli Art’s core business is the preservation, maintenance and promotion of the art work of the Ngaanyatjarra people by nurturing the development of traditional and contemporary artistic practice, exploring new mediums and innovative opportunities for creative expression.

Tjarlirli Art manages a second art centre, Kaltukatjara Art, representing the artists of Kaltukatjara (Docker River) in the Pitjantjatjarra lands of the Northern Territory There are close ties and family links between the two communities

Photo: Tjarlirli Art

KATJARRA BUTLER

Katjarra was born close to Kulkurta and Purrungu at a place called Kuun Kuun is the name of the waterhole there. Kuun is also the name of the yellow ochre There is also a place very close to Kuun that Katjarra refers to as her home and is one of her Tjukurrpa (Dreaming) that she paints It is called Kuurmankutja This place is home to the two Kuniya (python) dreaming The other dreaming that she paints is Marrapirnti

Her father was Lilyiwara Tjungurrayi and her mother was Mangkatji Nangala Katjarra had an older sister Nguya Napaltjarri and younger brother Peter Tjanpaltjarri, now both deceased

Katjarra lived with her parents, siblings and immediate family in the bush as a child, teenager and young married woman

She lived with her family and later with her husband in the country to the west of Tjukurla in the Kulkurta area which is south of the Baron Range in Western Australia

Katjarra lived a traditional nomadic lifestyle only, travelling families within their family's country and lived off the animals that they hunted and bush food that they collected. They collected and drank water from the rockholes, soakages, springs and claypans (waterholes) All the travelling was done on foot

Katjarra Butler | Ngamurru/Katjarra | acrylic on canvas | 91 x 55cm | ART21-980KA

Katjarra Butler | Ngamurru Katjarra | acrylic on canvas 122 x 91cm | ART20-1019KB

These waterholes are of Ngamurru. Ngamurru is my home. It is not like a spring —the waterhole dries out after a while. At these waterholes , many women were staying here for a short while in the creation time. These women were Nangala, my mothers. Another group of women , a group of Nungurrayi and Nangala were travelling to Marrpirnti / Kiwirrkura while the Nangala women were at Ngamurru. At Ngamurru the Nangala women collected , cooked and ate the bush tucker wanpurru that goes on sandhills. They then set off to the east to Papun and Ngartan.

BOB GIBSON TJUNGARRAYI

Bob Gibson Tjungarrayi was born at Papunya in 1974, before moving with his family to the small community of Tjukurla during the outstation movement of the 1980s This was a time when many Ngaanyatjarra people moved from government outposts near to Alice Springs back into the Western Desert to be closer to their ancestral homelands Bob's mother, Mary Gibson, is also a leading Tjarlirli artist whose Country is at Kulkurta, deep in the Western Desert, while his father’s country was near Patjarr on the edge of the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve.

Bob began painting with Tjarlirli Art in 2007, and quickly found a unique rhythm and approach to mark-making; his style is characterised by bold colours and an inimitable freedom of movement, expressing ancient stories with contemporary flair Bob is a vibrant character who is well loved within his community and provides support to many family members He is a keen Sydney Swans supporter and loves listening to all music, especially the local bush bands

These works are about two snakes and two men who travelled north to Karrkurinkitja As the party travelled , some strangers came up behind them and the snakes fled. Then Kurningka (boss of the Tingari men) went looking The clouds were coming towards them The snakes were travelling fast and the water was rising and the lady snake went in the ant's hole but the other snake was left outside Kurningka was saying, ‘water is coming closer’ but the other snake was too big for the hole The Kurningka cut the snake and a lot of fat came out

Bob Gibson Tjungarrayi | Patjantja | acrylic on canvas 122 x 147cm | ART21-749KA

Bob Gibson Tjungarrayi | Patjantja | acrylic on canvas | 914 x 1219cm | ART21-960KA

Bob Gibson Tjungarrayi | Patjantja | acrylic on canvas | 1015 x 762cm | ART21-15KA

Bob Gibson | Patjantja | acrylic on canvas | 91 x 55cm | ART20-819KA

Bob is distinguished by the freedom of his composition and his stylistic application of colour , which happens at a frenetic and decisive pace He carves up the canvas , creating wild shapes in an evocative and highly contemporary reinterpretation of country

Bob enjoys telling the stories from his fathers country around Patjarr and his mother's country Kulkurta The free brush strokes and loose lines evident in these canvases dance around each other displaying the distinctive and compelling liveliness of his work

JILLIAN GILES

Jillian grew up in Kaltukatjara (Docker River) with her parents and her five siblings She went to school in Alice Springs She learned to paint from her mother the Tjukurrpa of the Tjukurla area She has been living and painting both Alice Springs and across the Ngaanyatjarra lands in recent years, and visits family in Tjukurla where she paints with the Tjarlirli artists

This painting is about a Dreamtime story The story is from Jillian's Mother's country 'Mangari' The painting is about a huge tunnel that runs through the ground in the Mangari country The Ngaanyatjarra people call the site 'Kuru Yurltu'meaning 'Hollow Eye' This cavern-like tunnel holds a large body of water , and is the physical representation of a dreamtime story in which a man is speared through the torso as punishment for a crime This tunnel represents the hole in the man ' s body after being speared.

Jillian Giles | Kuruyurltu | acrylic on canvas | 91 x 55cm | ART22-850KA

NINUKU ARTS

Ninuku Arts was founded in 2006 by a small group of Pitjantjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra artists in a small mud-brick building in Kalka Community, located in the far northwest corner of South Australia (and just a few kilometres away from the WA border). Currently, the art centre supports a rotating roster of close to forty artists and makers living in both Kalka and Pipalyatjara, which are the most remote communities of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands.

Artists come to work on a near daily basis and the studio is the social and cultural beating heart of both communities It is a place not only to sit and work alongside family, but to gossip and share stories of near and distant past.

Over the course of the last decade the art centre has exhibited work nationally and internationally, becoming known for its powerful colour palettes as well as the diversity of styles, techniques, and mediums of each artist Whilst the origins of Ninuku’s creative output lay in the traditions of Western Desert dot painting, artists have grown over time to incorporate loose brush techniques as well as tjanpi (grass) and punu (wood) sculpture into their practices

Photo: Ninuku Arts

JENNIFER MINTAYA CONNELLY WARD

Mintaya Jennifer Connelly Ward was born around 1964 at Mulga Park, north-east of Amata During her younger years she went to school in Amata before heading off to college in Alice Springs and then Adelaide. She lived in Papunya during her early twenties, but soon married and moved to Patjarr to be with her husband, Kunitja Wards, family

Jennifer is a dedicated family woman, raising her own seven children and now being the primary carer for several of her grandchildren Alongside her family responsibilities, she continues to work hard in both the remote media industry and as an artist Her career in media has spanned for more than a decade, since training at the Batchelor Institute in Darwin, and has included working as an editor and camera person

Jennifers art is influenced by her time living in Patjarr, and commonly depicts Kungkarrakalpa Tjukurpa’, the Seven Sisters Dreaming story She often uses both a brush and ‘ punu ’ (a small wooden implement) to create the many layers in her work. She also loves to work with many colours, and has a natural affinity for beautiful colour combinations

Jennifer Mintaya Connelly Ward | Kungkarangkalpa Seven Sisters Story | acrylic on canvas | 122 x 81cm | ART22-483JMCW

Jennifer Mintaya Connelly Ward | Kungkarangkalpa (Seven Sisters Story) | acrylic on canvas | 104 x 104cm | ART22477JW

Kungkarangkalpa (Seven Sisters Story) is a major Tjukurpa for Irrunytju (Wingellina) and across the central Australian deserts. The seven sisters travelled from Kaliwarra to Wannan in Western Australia , stopping at significant sites and rockholes including Kuru Ala a sacred place for women They encountered a lustful man named Wati Nyiru, who chased them around the desert Some of the details of this Tjukurpa (Dreaming story) are sacred and can’t be repeated

JENNIFER FORBES

Jennifer Forbes was born in the bush around 1955. She grew up in the APY Lands and lives with her husband Sandy Ajax in Kalka She is the sister in Law of Telstra Award winner Jimmy Donegan and a devoted artist when she is in Kalka

Jennifer paints both contemporary bush trips using a naive realism style which is engaging and fun, always depicting a specific event; and more indexical abstract depictions of her traditional tjukurpa (dreaming)

Jennifer Forbes | Kungkarangkalpa (Seven Sisters Story) | acrylic on canvas | 91 x 91cm | ART 22-509JF

Jennifer Forbes | Kungkarangkalpa (Seven Sisters Dreaming) | acrylic on canvas | 122 x 61cm | ART23-028JF

RENAE FOX

Renae Fox is an emerging artist living in Kalka Community, just 20 kilometres over the Western Australian border Renae's father, Mr Fox,'s country is around the Warburton ranges, where he grew up. The Fox family have lived between Irrunytju (WA) and Kalka (SA) communities however now mainly reside in Kalka

Renae paints regularly at Ninuku Arts alongside her mother, Yangi Yangi and sister, Tanisha Fox She has been developing a painting practice since 2007 and paints a number of different Tjukurpa, including the Kungkarangkalpa (Seven Sisters), Patilpa Tjukurpa (a significant Tjukurpa for the Kalka/Pipalyatjara region) and most recently, Wati Ngintaka Tjukurpa from her mother's country

Renae uses acrylic on canvas to create boldly coloured tonal compositions She is a strong young leader in the community and is actively involved as a leader with the NPY Youth program and within her church

Renae Fox | Wati Ngintaka Tjukurpa | acyrilc on canvas | 153 x 153cm | ART22-499R

This is a story about Wati Ngintaka Tjukurpa (perentie lizard man creation story) That Wati Ngintaka (lizard man) heard the clapping sound of a beautiful grinding stone - a traditional tool used for grinding mai (food). He wanted that stone for himself , so he travelled from Arang’nga a long way east towards Wayatina looking for the stone He spotted Anangu tjuta (lots of Aboriginal people) at a camp Some of the people gave him mai (food) in the form of a seed cake , but it was dry and he didn’t like it Then one lady gave him delicious food and he knew that it had been made with seeds ground on the special grinding stone He spied the grinding stone and stole it hiding it in under his tail When they all went hunting the next day, Wati Ngintaka stayed in camp, saying he had sore feet

Once they were gone it was safe and he left stealing the grinding stone. All the people were angry with the Wati Ngintaka and chased him When they caught him they felt all over his body to see where he was hiding the grinding stone , but couldnt find it. Wati Ngintaka held up his arms and claimed he didn’t have it , but they saw he was hiding it , wipungka (in his tail) They speared the Wati Ngintaka and retrieved the grinding stone He passed away at a place called Aran’nga in the Northern Territory Ngaltutjara (poor thing)

Renae Fox | Wati Ngintaka Tjukurpa | acrylic on canvas | 128 x 91cm | ART23-002RF

SAMUEL MILLER

Samuel Miller was born in 1966 at Ernabella Mission When Samuel’s mother passed away, his fathers second wife, Molly Nampitjin Miller, cared for him. Molly is a founding director of Ninuku Arts

When growing up, Samuel moved between Amata and Pipalyatjara, but he now resides in Kalka with Molly and the rest of her family A core member of Ninuku Arts, Samuel has painted here daily for over a decade His canvases depict the traditional iconography of his land, which lies to the east of Pipalyatjaracamps, rockholes, creeks and hills, all immersed in Tjukurpa (Dreaming stories)

Samuel’s paintings are mesmerising. His composition is minimalist and he makes extensive use of vibrant, radiating colours, which are largely drawn from the flowers in landscape surrounding his country before the buffel grass came He is fastidious in his approach and works with a vast number of paint colours, which he spreads out around him as he works

Ngayuku Ngura means ‘My Place’ Samuel uses an extensive palette of colours to paint the country surrounding Kalka and Pipalyatjara His paintings feature the various land formations from that area - rockholes , creeks and hills His land is a sacred men ’ s rockhole , so sacred that the name is not allowed to be written down or spoken about

Samuel Miller | Ngayuku Ngura | acrylic on canvas | 122 x 76cm | ART23-074SM

TERRY WARD

Terry was born in 1981 in Warburton His mother, Ngipi Ward's country is Tjirrkaupa near Patjarr, in the Gibson desert Ngipi Ward was an accomplished artist. Terry moved to Pipalyatjara in his late teens He begun working at Ninuku as an arts worker in 2022 along with his partner Rowena, and then decided to turn his hand to painting, showing a natural aptitude towards colour and line

'Walka Wiru Ngura Wiru' means 'lovely country, lovely drawing' This painting is a composition of dot patterns, inspired by the sandy desert features around the Tompkinson ranges of Pipalyatjara Kalka , and Irrunytju communities where Ninuku artists work.

Ward | Walka Wiru Ngura Wiru | acyrilc on canvas | 61 x 61cm | ART23-023TW

ANGELA WATSON

Angela Watson was born in 1966 in Warburton, a remote community in Western Australia As a young child, Angela and her family relocated to Pipalyatjara, where she continues to live today

Angela started her arts practice in the early 2000s, as the first Aboriginal art studios were being set up in the western region of the APY Lands Her artworks draw influence from ‘tjukurpa’ (traditional stories), particularly those of ‘Minyma Kutjara (Two Women Dreaming) This is an important story from her father’s country Irrunytju, which lies just over the border from Pipalyatjara in Western Australia

The Minyma Kutjara’ story tells of two women travelling alone who are looking for fresh ‘kapi’ (water) Along their travels they have to escape the advances of a ‘wati' (man) who stalks them Angela’s paintings frequently show the path and camps from their journey across the lands, as well as the night-time constellations of the Milky Way that lays above

She works with bold, graphic colour palettes and is notable in her use of both contemporary techniques and composition to tell the traditional story

Angela Watson | Mamu Story | 127 x 91cm | acrylic on canvas | ART23-017AW

Angela Watson | Mamu Story | 182 x 110cm | acrylic on canvas | ART23-031AW

Mamu is a rockhole site southwest of Pipalyatjara, about one hour Alkuwari was travelling with her jamu (grandson) and her grandfather (also called jamu). They made a camp with fire and big wiltja Alkuwari was worried that her grandson was going to harm her grandfather and she needed to go hunting So , she hid her grandfather on top of the wiltja and went

The boy put the waru (fire) inside the wiltja and burned the grandfather Alkuwari saw the smoke and she ran and ran to the wiltja but the grandfather had died. the jamu had run away so she went and got all her family to follow him , to kill him

They became the mamu and turned into the seven rockholes of Mamu

CASSARIA YOUNG HOGAN

Cassaria Young Hogan was born in 1997 in Alice Springs, Northern Territory Her mother is Susan Young, though artists Amanyi and Stanley Young have looked after her since she was a baby Cassaria grew up in Kalka community and attended school in Pipalyatjara

An emerging painter, her works tell the stories of bush trips digging maku and making cups of tea on the homelands of her grandfather Stanley's country around the Wataru protected area, 100 kms southwest of Pipalyatjara

Cassaria won the Kings School Art Prize in 2022, worth $20,000 She is part of a prolific artistic family, including her Grandfather Stanley, her father Timo Hogan and aunt, Carol all of whom exhibit nationally and internationally

Cassaria paints her grandfathers country Stanley Young's homeland Mamutjara (Western Australia) and Kunatjara (South Australia)

This is where she goes on bush trips with her Mother Aunty Carol Young and other family and children for bush foods Maku , Tjala, Tinka and to dig for Punu

Cassaria Young Hogan | Bush Trip | acrylic on canvas 122 x 122cm | ART22-453CYH

WARLUKURLANGU ARTISTS

Established in 1985 Warlukurlangu Artists

Aboriginal Corporation is a not-for-profit organisation that is one hundred percent Aboriginal-owned by its artists, in the remote desert community of Yuendumu in Central Australia

In the early 1980’s senior community leaders including women Uni Nampijinpa Martin, Dolly Nampijinpa Daniels, Rosie Nangala Fleming and Maggie Napangardi Watson alongside senior respected elders Paddy Japaljarri Stewart and Paddy Japaljarri Sims founded the Warlukurlangu art centre.

From its inception, Warlukurlangu’s art became recognised for its bold use of colour through an unrestricted palette This was integral to the distinctive style that emerged. Another early distinctive feature was the use of very traditional iconography The artists painted Jukurrpa (dreaming story), ensuring appropriate Warlpiri relationships of kirda (owners) and kurdugurlu (guardians) were followed and the images reflected the social and cultural obligations present in ceremonies and day-to-day life in the community

Warlukurlangu Artists is one of the longest running and most successful art centres in Central Australia. It has a national and international profile and its art has been featured in hundreds of exhibitions and publications in Australia and around the world

Photo: Warlukurlangu Artists

LLOYD JAMPIJINPA BROWN

Lloyd Brown is the grandson of Paddy Japaljarri Stewart, one of the founding artists of Warlukurlangu Artists and one of the main painters of the famous Yuendumu School Doors. He was born in Alice Springs and has spent all of his life living in Yuendumu, an Aboriginal settlement located 290 kilometres north west of Alice Springs

Lloyd’s favourite pastime is singing in one of the local bands He also loves playing football and is a keen supporter of the Yuendumu Magpies. He often goes out hunting for traditional animals with his family in the country surrounding Yuendumu

He first started painting for the art centre on small canvas boards which are given to the school children as part of the art centre cultural maintenance program during the school holidays He has been painting on canvas since 2002. He paints the stories that have been passed down to him for millenia These stories relate directly to Lloyd’s traditional country, the animals and features which are commonly found in those places.

Lloyd also helps out at the Art Centre, assisting with the preparation of art canvases

These paintings depict a yankirri Jukurrpa (emu [Dromaius novaehollandiae] Dreaming) from a place called Ngarlikurlangu, approximately fifty kilometres north of Yuendumu. The kirda (owners) of this Dreaming are Nangala/ Nampijinpa women and Jangala/Jampijinpa men

This Jukurrpa tells the story of a yankirri (emu) and a ‘wardilyka’ (bush turkey [Ardeotis australis]) ‘Yankirri’ lived at a soakage to the west called Warnirripanu (or Walangkamirirri) while wardilyka lived at a soakage to the east called Parirri. The emu and bush turkey used to go around the country picking ‘yakajirri’ (bush raisins [Solanum centrale]) and mashing them into kapurdu (fruit balls) to save in their nests for later. However , they were jealous of each other; the emu thought that the bush turkey was picking the best and juiciest ‘yakajirri’, and was leaving him with only the sour ‘yakajirri’

The emu went to the bush turkey’s nest to the east while the bush turkey was out hunting and smashed up the ‘kapurdu’ that the bush turkey had saved there When the bush turkey returned , he found his smashed ‘yakajirri’ balls and realized that the emu had destroyed them He went to the west to confront the emu and when he found him , they got into a big fight The bush turkey eventually flew away to the north , leaving behind the smashed ‘yakajirri’ balls

This practice of making kapurdu (fruit balls) is a traditional Warlpiri method of storing ‘yakajirri’; in the old days, people used to dry the ‘yakajirri’ grind them up with a rock in a coolamon , mix them with water and form balls from them , and cover the ‘kapurdu’ with red ochre so they would keep

LEFT: Lloyd Jampijinpa Brown | Emu Dreaming Ngarlikirlangu acyrilc on canvas | 122x30cm | ART554-23LNB

RIGHT: Lloyd Jampijinpa Brown | Emu Dreaming Ngarlikirlangu acrylic on canvas | 122 x 30cm | ART309-23LNB

SADIE NAKAMARRA PADOON

This painting depicts the natural landscape around Nyirrpi, a small Warlpiri community (originally an outstation) about 160 kilometres west of Yuendumu About 200 people live in Nyirrpi today The bush around Nyirrpi features plenty of watiya (trees), marna (grass), kuyu (animals) to hunt , and ‘miyi’ (edible plants) to gather

There are a number of beautiful natural features close to Nyirrpi, including sandhills , soakages, and Karrku (Mt Stanley), a large flat-topped hill that is an important source of red ochre used during ceremonies There are also a number of small outstations around Nyirrpi These include Wayililinpa, Yinjirimardi, Karrinyarra (Mt Wedge) Nginyirripalangu and many more

Sadie Nakamarra Padoon | Country around Nyirrpi acyrilc on canvas | 107 x 91cm | ART109-23NY

CECILY NAPANANGKA MARSHALL

Cecily Napanangka Marshall was born in 1975 in Alice Springs Hospital, the closest hospital to Yuendumu (290 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs Hospital).

Cecily was brought up by her Grandmother who has since died Cecily is now a single mum with one daughter. She has sisters and brothers who were also raised by her Grandmother

Cecily paints her Grandmother’s and Grandfathers Jukurrpa, stories that have been passed down the generations for millennia and relate directly to the land, its features and the plants and animals that inhabit it Cecily particularly likes painting Karnta Jukurrpa (Women’s Dreaming) from her Grandmother’s side and Watiya-warnu Jukurrpa (Bush Seed Dreaming) from her Grandfather’s side

Cecily likes to paint with her Grandmother’s sister, Phyllis Napurrurla Williams and her sister Valerie Napurrurla Morris When Cecily is not painting she used to play sport, particularly basketball. These days she likes to go hunting for Yurrampi (Honey ants) and Ngarlkirdi (witchetty grubs)

Cecily Napanangka Marshall | Brush tail Possum Dreaming acrylic on canvas | 91 x 61cm | ART1728-23CNM

I like the stories. I watch as they [senior family women] paint and tell me about the possum dreaming.

JUDITH NUNGARRAYI MARTIN

Judith Nungarrayi Martin was born in 1976 in Alice Springs Hospital Judith comes from a family of artists. Her mother is Helen Nampijinpa Robertson and her grand-father is Shorty Jangala Robertson , both well-known artist who paint for Warlukurlanga Artists

After finishing school in Alice Springs she returned to Yuendumu She moved to Nyrripi in 1991 where she later married a ‘Nyrripi boy’ They have 3 sons and 1 daughter Judith has been painting with Warlukurlangu since 1994

As a young child she would watch her family paint and listen to their stories Although her production of artwork was initially sporadic –she began to paint full time when she had her sons and daughter

Judith paints her fathers Jukurrpa (Dreamings), that include Janganpa Jukurrpa (Brush Tail Possum Dreaming) and Yankirri Jukurrpa (Emu Dreaming) She has exhibited in group exhibitions in Melbourne , Sydney and Japan. She uses an unrestricted palette to develop a modern interpretation of her traditional culture

Janganpa Jukurrpa (common brush-tail possum [Trichosurus vulpecula] Dreaming) travels all over Warlpiri country ‘Janganpa’ are nocturnal animals that often nest in the hollows of white gum trees (wapunungka). This story comes from a big hill called Mawurrji, west of Yuendumu and north of Pikilyi (Vaughan Springs)

A group of janganpa ancestors resided there Every night they would go out in search of food Their hunting trips took them to Wirlki and Wanapirdi where they found ‘pamapardu’ (flying ants)

They journeyed on to Ngarlkirdipini looking for water A Nampijinpa women was living at Mawurrji with her two daughters She gave her daughters in marriage to a Jupurrurla janganpa but later decided to run away with them The Jupurrurla angrily pursued the woman He tracked them to Mawurrji where he killed them with a stone axe.

Their bodies are now rocks at this place Warlpiri people perform a young men ’ s initiation ceremony, which involves the Janganpa Jukurrpa. The Janganpa Jukurrpa belongs to Jakamarra/ Jupurrurla men and Nakamarra/Napurrurla women

Judith Nungarrayi Martin | Brush tail Possum Dreaming acrylic on canvas | 183 x 122cm | ART1630-23JNM

I wanted to paint the stories to teach my kids.

STEPHEN JAKAMARRA WALKER

Stephen Jakamarra Walker lives in the remote indigenous community of Yuendumu on the Tanami Desert of Central Australia The community is located 300 kms north-west of Alice Springs. He has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists since 2017 He is the eldest son of Liddy Napanangka Walker who was one of the founding artists of the art centre in Yuendumu Stephen paints the stories that were passed down to him from his mother and his ancestors

This pirlarla (dogwood tree bean) Dreaming begins near Yumurrpa (a waterhole approximately 140km northwest of Yuendumu) and travels west It goes to the country near the Yiningnarra range south of Rabbit Flat and several hundred kilometers northwest of Yuendumu There , women of the Nakamarra and Napurrula subsections travelled and collected ‘pirlarla’ The ‘kirda’ (owners) of this Jukurrpa are Jakamarra/ Jupurrurla men and Nakamarra/Napurrurla women

Pirlarla are called bush beans They are the long seed pods of the wakirlpirri (dogwood [Acacia coriacea] tree), which grows on the sides of creek beds and near ‘mulga’ trees When it gets hot , women collect the pirlarla and cook them on the fire. They then crack them open and eat the ‘ngurlu’ (seeds) inside The seeds can be ground up and eaten They can also be dried , ground up, and mixed with water in a ‘parraja’ (coolamon) Women squeeze a liquid called ngungkarli or ‘yinjirrpi’ from them , which is sweet and good to drink

In contemporary Warlpiri paintings, traditional iconography can be used to represent the Jukurrpa, particular sites , and other elements Paintings of the ‘Pirlarla Jukurrpa’ often include designs that are painted onto women ' s bodies during their Yawulyu ceremonies. Long sinuous lines represent the ‘pirlarla’ (bush beans), while round circles represent the ‘wakirlpirri’ (dogwood trees) that they grow on Shorter curved lines can represent small pirlarla.

Stephen Jakamarra Walker | Dogwood Tree Bean Dreaming acrylic on canvas | 107 x 61cm | ART1469-23SJW

a Kanaris with artist Stephen Jupurrurla Nelson during her visit to Warlukurlangku Artists in May 2023

Photo courtesy Artitja Fine Art Gallery

HELEN NUNGARRAYI REED

Helen has painted a jukurrpa (dreaming) related to water. This story is associated to a rock-hole site , Lupul south of Kintore The Jukurrpa tells the story of the rainbow serpent travelling through the country creating large storms With the storms the lands flourish , creating the flora and fauna

The dreaming associated to Lupul rock-hole is also connected to the Two Women Jukurrpa This dreaming tells the story of two women travelling through the country and performing ceremonies During the ceremonies the women use hair-string skirts

Helen Nungarrayi Reed | Lupul Jukurrpa | acrylic on canvas | 183 x 122cm | ART118-23ny

VALENTINE NAKAMARRA WHITE

This Jukurrpa belongs to women of the Nakamarra/ Napurrurla subsections and to Jakamarra/Jupurrurla men This Dreaming is associated with a place called Jaralypari, north of Yuendumu

Lukarrara (desert fringe-rush [ Fimbristylis oxystachya & Fimbristylis eremophila]) is a grass with an edible seed The seeds are traditionally ground on a large stone (‘ngatinyanu’) with a smaller stone (‘ngalikirri’) to make flour. This flour is mixed with water (‘ngapa’) to make damper cakes which are cooked and eaten

In Warlpiri traditional paintings iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, particular sites and other elements Large concentric circles often represent the site of Jaralypari and also the seed bearing grass Lukurrara U shapes can depict the Karnta (women) collecting ‘lukarrara’ and straight lines are frequently used to portray seeds that fall down to the ground and are also collected by women using their parrajas (wooden food carriers) and ‘karlangu’ (digging sticks)

Valentine Nakamarra White | Desert Fringe-rush Seed Dreaming | acrylic on canvas | 107 x 61cm ART834-23VNW

YARRERNYTY ARLTERE ARTISTS

Originally established in 2000 as a response to the chronic social issues faced by the town camp, Yarrenyty Arltere Town Camp Artists started as an arts training project Located in the heart of Alice Springs in the Larapinta Valley, it was established as an art centre in 2008.

Now a vibrant and dynamic hub, Yarrenyty Arltere Artists is seen as an important part in rebuilding strength in the community and creating economic access for people. Now people are participating in regular work, there is a vehicle for social inclusiveness and the activities in the art centre have provided real and engaging pathways into the wider society.

The centre is a place that facilitates healing and nurtures well being, as well as being a place where people can relax and de-stress. It is an important part in the community's success in decreasing volatile substance abuse and building resilience

Photo: Yarrenyty Arltere Artists

BETH EBATARINJA

Beth Ebatarinja | Bird | wool and cotton | 45 x 47 x 23cm | ART34-23BE

Yarrenyty Arltere Artists is about family and community It is about celebrating the innovation , creativity and diversity of Yarrenyty Arltere Town Camp artists. It is about having a localised art program that is open to all Yarrenyty Arltere Town Camp community members It is about creating a safe and non judgemental environment in which people can work , access services , plan for the future It is about working together to create a successful and healthy enterprise An enterprise that is strong because of the people that work there , that is strong because of the social , emotional and cultural capital that is shared daily This vibrant dynamic art centre located in the heart of Alice Springs in the Larapinta Valley Town Camp is all about the people that work there daily, their families their community their culture It is about a great future in which the Yarrenyty Arltere Artists are directing for themselves!

Yarrenyty Arltere Artists during Artitja visit 2022 Photo courtesy Artitja Fine Art Gallery

RHONDA SHARPE

I was born and grew up in Alice Springs. I went to Yiprinya school. I danced when it opened. That is the only time I danced for my culture. I live at Larapinta now , I have my house.

Rhonda Sharpe | Pussycat | wool and cotton | 38 x 45 x 10cm | ART33-23RS

Rhonda Sharpe | Kurrkurrka (Owl) | wool and cotton | 45 x 55 x 10cm | ART32-23RS

Sewing makes me feel happy and proud. I like to do different things. It just comes to me when I am sewing or drawing, things come into my head. Like how when I make two heads on the birds and on the person. I think thats like my head telling me different things, but I don't really have two heads. I just get two ideas , to drink or to sew. I have to choose , every day I have to think which way to go. I’m getting stronger to stay at work , to listen to my good head.

HERMANNSBURG POTTERS

The Hermannsburg Potters are a dedicated group of Western Arrarnta artists creating vibrant handmade ceramic pots that encompass collective and individually lived histories in their distinct Country.

The Hermannsburg artists continue a 30-year legacy, sculpting and painting their visual histories and contemporary settings, speaking to their cultural beliefs, traditions and values.

Each artist works with a high level of skill in both hand-building pottery and watercolour-style landscape painting These dynamic skills allow the artworks to evolve into individual depictions of the artist’s love for the local wildlife, memories of Country, community and traditions, as well as elements of contemporary life

The vibrant and unique forms are made from terracotta clay working with the hand coil-pinch technique and finally painted with ceramic underglaze The senior artists work with a style of painting reminiscent of Albert Namatjira, whose legacy continues to inspire the local community and its artists. This playful combination of mediums creates distinct work which have been widely exhibited and collected in Australia and overseas

Photo: Hermannsburg Potters

Artist Anita Ratara in the Hermannsburg Potters studio

Photos: Genevieve Walshe

ANITA MBITJANA RATARA

Budgerigars nest in hollow trees.

Anita Ratara is a senior artist at Hermannsburg Potters and is regarded for her confident & colourful painting of Country

Anita was 'born bush' in the alukura (women's camp) near Hermannsburg in 1943 She is the mother of prominent potter Hayley Coulthard Anita's youngest daughter Alizha is an emerging artist. She attended the Hermannsburg Mission school, and later went on to work in the clinic, teaching the young mother's who had children She also recalls making moccasins, or 'fancy work', for the missionaries

As a young woman, Anita showed natural ability in the arts and crafts, teaching herself to paint from an early age She recalls being taught pottery by Naomi Sharp in the early 1990s, when the pottery program was located at the outstations. Anita continues today residing mostly at her outstation, Ipalala, today, but travels into the Pottery most days to continue her love of working with clay.

Anita mostly depicts Palm Valley in her work, of which she is a Traditional Owner Palm Valley is Anita's grandfather's Country, and she continues to assert her links with her Country through her art

Zebra finches show where the water is.

L: Anita Ratara | Lyerrtjina (budgerigar) | terracotta & underglazes | 23 x 14cm | 1N1A2520-2

R: Anita Ratara | Nyingka (zebra finch) | terracotta & underglazes | 18 x 13cm | 1N1A2518-2AR

VERA ARMSTRONG

ALIZHA COULTHARD

Vera was born in Alice Springs and spent her childhood growing up in Hermannsburg. The little sister of senior artist Judith Inkamala, Vera joined Hermannsburg Potters in 2017

Vera comes from a family line of watercolour artists, her grandfather Clim Abbott being a prominent watercolour artist who learnt from Albert Namatjira Vera is now learning to build terracotta pots and paint under guidance from senior artists at the pottery

Challenging herself with new approaches to ceramics, Vera has developed an interest and natural talent for throwing her pots on the wheel and the surface decoration technique, Sgraffito

Alizha is an emerging artist of Hermannsburg Potters joining the group in 2020.

Daughter of Senior artist and community elder Anita Ratara, Alizha's family has a strong legacy in fine art. Her grandfather is Otto Pareroultja (her mothers uncle)

Alizha is a natural potter with very fine painting skills and careful attention to detail

Alizha lives at her family outstation of 8 Mile, west of Hermannsburg Community, and draws her inspiration from the landscape, family and local flora and fauna

GERALDINE INKAMALA

ANDREA PUNGKARTA RONTJI

Geraldine is the daughter of established artist Judith Inkamala

Geraldine has been learning from her mother in the studio, starting work with Hermannsburg Potters in late 2020

Geraldine's work depicts contemporary life in Ntaria as well as beautiful landscapes and wildlife Geraldine is an exciting emerging artist and one to watch!

Andrea Rontji joined the potters in 2017 Andrea comes from a big family of potters she is the niece of prominent potters Lindy and Carol Rontji and is the Grandaughter of Virginia Rontji and Irene Entata

Andrea draws her inspiration from the landscape, flora, fauna and community surrounding Hermannsburg She has a fine attention to detail in her brushwork and is a skilled hand builder with clay Andrea has a very positive and gentle approach and is an exciting emerging artist at Hermannsburg Potters

Andrea is also a Director and Arts Worker for Hermannsburg Potters

Birds that nest in trees

Whitenecked herons stand motionless by the water's edge

Galahs go around in big flocks.

1

Vera Armstrong | Thepa Ntjaara (Birds) terracotta & underglazes | 11 x 8cm ARTVA94-22

2 3

Alizah Coulthard | Elintja (galah) terracotta & underglazes | 13 x 9cm ARTAC113-23

Geraldine Inkamala | Untjwarra (White Necked Heron) | terracotta & underglazes

8 x 12cm | ARTG189-22

Andrea Pungkarta Rontji | Going to Visit Country | terracotta & underglazes

DAWN WHEELER

Dawn was born in 1953 in Hermannsburg She is the daughter of Pastor Peter Buller, a Lutheran missionary of whom she has fond memories of, and recalls learning to make music sticks from him.

Dawn married in 1970 and has two daughters, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They live at their outstation near Ntaria - Rrirrkathathaka (Red Sand Hill)

Dawn draws on the landscape around her, her love of her father's country, who's memory has inspired her to maintain links to her Luritja heritage through her art practice

Dawn is a respected Senior artist She is a precise and methodical potter, and her style has been noted for her considered figurative story telling

oo at Lilla Outstation , anyon way. That’s my country. He’s trying water. Camels and ut there around Kings around Lilla , too.

Hermansburg Potters on Country

Photo: Genevieve Walshe

With gratitude and respect to our exhibition partners:

Martumili Artists martumilicomau

Tjarlirli & Kaltukatjara Art tjarlirliartcom

Ninuku Arts ninukumarketcomau

Warlukurlangu Artists warlu.com

Yarrernyty Arltere Artists yarrenytyarltereartists.com.au

Hermannsburg Potters hermannsburgpotters.com.au

All images, artist and artwork information has been supplied by the respective art centres and reproduced with permission

Publication copyright Artitja Fine Art Gallery 2023 Artworks copyright the respective artists 2023

Design and copy by Claire Krouzecky

Artitja Fine Art Gallery is a member of the Indigenous Art Code

Since opening in March 2004 , Artitja Fine Art Gallery have specialised in presenting art from multiple remote community Aboriginal Art Centres throughout Western Australia and the Northern Territory, including the Tiwi Islands and Ernabella and Ninuku art centres in the Anangu, Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands Artitja is based in South Fremantle

Artitja holds up to six exhibitions a year in gallery exhibition spaces, details of which can be found on our website. At all other times we are open for viewing by appointment.

Operating by appointment, enables us to make the gallery visit comfortable and accessible. We pride ourselves on providing a personalised and informative approach to viewing and collecting art in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

- Artitja Director Anna Kanaris

Enquiries welcome via:

"Making Cultural Connections through Art"