TJUKURPA NGANAMPA KUNPU KANYINTJAKU
Keeping Our Stories Strong
Cover image: Tiger Yaltangki, Apu Hills 38 x 38 inches (102 x 102 cm) acrylic on linen, Iwantja Arts #850-13
TJUKURPA NGANAMPA KUNPU KANYINTJAKU Keeping Our Stories Strong
IWANTJA ARTS MIMILI MAKU ARTS ERNABELLA ARTS Anangu tjuta come to our art centre. Pukulpa ngura. It is a happy place. Mimili is our home. We paint strong paintings here together. We paint nganampa tjukurpa (our law and culture). Pulka. This is important to us. Nganampa paintingku wiru-nya. Our paintings are beautiful, mulapa. Ngupulya Pumani artist at Mimili Maku Arts
This page: Waterhole near Mimili Maku, South Australia
TJUKURPA NGANAMPA KUNPU KANYINTJAKU This exhibition brings together for the first time in the United States, three diverse artistic centers of the eastern Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY) region of South Australia. Mimili Maku, Iwantja and Ernabella art centers are home to more than 120 artists. These remote desert communities are Aboriginal-owned and governed centers that have not only become major artistic hubs, they importantly ensure the wealth of talent and economic returns stay in the community for the benefit of the artists and their families. Over the past decade Australia has witnessed a major resurgence of painting across the entire APY region. In keeping with this plethora of artistic talent, Mimili Maku, Iwantja and Ernabella Arts have become renowned for such expressive and distinctive interpretations of traditional imagery. These strong abstract variations and complex depictions of country, tjukurpa and contemporary stories by artists at these art centers have today, generated an unmatched interest from collectors both across Australia and internationally. MIMILI MAKU ARTS The Community of Mimili is located at the base of the Everard Ranges. It is 645km south of Alice Springs which is the nearest large town. Mimili is home to 350 Anangu people who speak a mix of Yankunytjatjara, Pitjantjatjara, Ngaanyatjarra and Luritja. The community was established in the early 1970’s after the land was returned to the traditional owners. The art center takes its name from the maku (witchetty grub) found in the roots of the Acacia Kempeana. The Maku Tjukurpa (witchetty grub songline) is a significant story from this area. The art center involves men and women, young people and old people from the community and four surrounding homelands of Perentie Bore, Wanmara, Blue Hills and Sandy Bore. IWANTJA ARTS Iwantja Community is mainly Yankunytjatjara people living on the eastern side of the APY Lands, on a
dusty rocky ridge called Indulkana. The art community started in the 1970’s, initially used for secondary student’s art lessons, the building used was so crowded at times that the teacher had to mark spots on the floor in the morning to make sure they all had room. Skills were learnt and the beginnings of a clear identity formed. People did traditional wood carving (punu), batik, patchwork, dying, painting and around the early eighties linoblock printing started. Over 100 prints and many drawings from that time are in the South Australian Museum. In recent years Iwantja has gone from strength to strength on the basis of its strong cultural identity and impressive painting style. ERNABELLA ARTS Ernabella is at the eastern end of the Musgrave Ranges in the far north west of South Australia, and is Australia’s oldest Indigenous art center operating continuously since 1948. For the first twenty eight years artists worked almost exclusively with wool, spinning and weaving it, and making hand-pulled floor rugs incorporating their own unique walka (designs). Ernabella painting now encompasses subjects drawn from Tjukurpa (the eternal Creation stories); mai putitja (bush food stories) and elements of the early and unique anapalyaku walka (Ernabella style). This exhibition is a rare opportunity to immerse ourselves in art that is produced amidst extremely poor living conditions. This makes all the more remarkable the resilient and joyful affirmation of land and culture in the works of these artists. These paintings express deep layers of symbolism and involve considerable innovation and individual creativity. The works carry the power of the culture from which they come: varied, intense and alive. Harvey Art Projects USA acknowledges the support of Hannah Grace, Manager Mimili Maku Arts, Helen Johnson Manager Iwantja and Ruth MacMillan Manager Ernabella Arts in mounting this first time USA exhibition. Special thanks to all contributing artists for sharing their culture with our US audience.
TJUNKAYA TAPAYA, Kungkarangkalpa Attila, 33 x 67 inches (84 x 170 cm) acrylic on canvas, Ernabella Arts #13-202
TJUNKAYA TAPAYA, Tjitjiku Tjukurpa, 39 x 59 inches (100 x 150 cm) acrylic on canvas, Ernabella Arts #309-13
TUPPY NGINTJA GOODWIN, Bumbali Creek, 48 x 48 inches (122 x 122 cm) acrylic on canvas, Mimili Maku Arts #389-12
CARLENE THOMPSON, Kalyara Ngura, 33 x 48 inches (84 x 122 cm) acrylic on canvas, Ernabella Arts #325-13
TIGER YALTANGKI, Apu Hills, 38 x 38 inches (102 x 102 cm) acrylic on canvas, Iwantja Arts #850-13
NELLIE COULTHARD & EMILY CULLINAN, Untitled, 60 x 40 inches (152.5 x 101.5cm) acrylic on canvas, Iwantja Arts #318-08
ROBERT FIELDING, Tjilpi Pampa munu kuri kutjara (The old man & his two wives) 40 x 60 inches (152 x 101 cm) acrylic on cavas Mimili Maku Arts #11-137
WHISKEY TJUKANGKU, Arrente Country 36 x 39 inches (91 x 101 cm) acrylic on canvas, Iwantja Arts #67-12
Renita Stanley Tjariya Stanley Yurpiya Lionel Pantjiti Lionel Carlene Thompson Emily Cullinan Nellie Coulthard Maisie King Tiger Yaltangki Whiskey Tjukangku Peter Mungkuri Alec Baker Betty Pumani Tuppy Goodwin Kathleen Tjapalyi Mike Williams Robert Fielding
BETTY PUMANI Antara - Maku Dreaming 39 x 78 inches (100 x 200 cm) acrylic on canvas Mimili-Maku Arts #298-13
TJUKURPA NGANAMPA KUNPU KANYINTJAKU Keeping Our Stories Strong
On view Nov-Dec 2013 Sun Valley, USA
391 First Ave North, Ketchum, ID 83340 USA info@harveyartprojects.com (208) 309-8676
HarveyArtProjects.com
Copyright 2013 Harvey Art Projects USA, Iwantja, Mimili-Maku & Ernabella Artists
Backcover Image: Ernabella Artist Tjunkaya Tapaya