Minyma Maku

Anita Pumani, Betty Campbell, Umatji Tjapalyi

Minyma Maku

Anita Pumani, Betty Campbell, Umatji Tjapalyi

Front: Anita Pumani, Antara-Maku Dreaming, 2022, acrylic on linen, 200 x 200 cm (detail)

Left: Betty Campbell at Mimili, 2022

Over page: Umatji Tjapalyi, Ngayuku Ngunytjunka Tjukurpa (My Mother’s story), 2022, 122 x 122 cm (detail)

In partnership with Mimili Maku Arts Everywhen Artspace 39 Cook Street, Flinders, Vic 3929 October 7-25, 2022

Text ©Susan McCulloch & the artists Design ©Lisa Reidy Images ©The artists Published by Everywhen Artspace

ANITA

INTRODUCTION

The Minyma Maku (Women of the Witchetty Grub) Songline belongs to the traditional women owners of South Australia’s APY Lands.

Here, Anita Pumani, Betty Campbell and Umatji Tjapalyi depict the Songline as it relates to the 846,000 square kilometre Indigenous Protected area of Antara. Near the artists’ home community of Mimili, Antara is rich with rock formations, waterholes and wildlife and is frequently visited and cared for by these and other Mimili artists.

Granddaughter of one of Mimili’s founding artists, and niece of the award-winning Betty Pumani, Anita Pumani is one of the APY Lands’ brightest rising art stars. Here, her work depicts the country and maku trees of Minyma Maku.

Second-generation painter Umatji Tjapalyi paints the women’s ceremonies of her mother’s country – part of the Antara storyline.

Although more senior, Betty Campbell is showing her first exhibition works, focusing on the dance and women’s ceremonies associated with the Minyma Maku songline in paintings that are at one both timeless and contemporary.

2022

Left: Anita Pumani, Antara-Maku Dreaming, 2022, 122 x 152 cm. (detail)

Susan McCulloch

Anita Pumani

This painting is about Antara, a site close to Mimili Community that is very important to my family.

Kungka Kutjara ananyi tjukula. A long time ago two women went to apu katu, to the hill around Antara. They were singing inma (song) and hitting the rock with a punu (stick). Maku tjuta (a lot of witchetty grubs) came from the tree we call Maku Ilykuwara (Witchetty Bush).

When we go out to Antara and sing inma, we collect maku tjuta and other bush tucker the next day.

My auntie Milatjari Pumani taught me how to respect Maku Tjurkurpa for Mimili Community. I also teach my daughters what Maku Tjurkurpa means. I am proud to be custodian of that country.

Anita

Anita Pumani

This painting is about Antara, a site close to Mimili Community that is very important to my family.

Kungka Kutjara ananyi tjukula. A long time ago two women went to apu katu, to the hill around Antara. They were singing inma (song) and hitting the rock with a punu (stick). Maku tjuta (a lot of witchetty grubs) came from the tree we call Maku Ilykuwara (Witchetty Bush).

When we go out to Antara and sing inma, we collect maku tjuta and other bush tucker the next day.

My auntie Milatjari Pumani taught me how to respect Maku Tjurkurpa for Mimili Community. I also teach my daughters what Maku Tjurkurpa means. I am proud to be custodian of that country.

Anita

Anita Pumani

This painting is about Antara, a site close to Mimili Community that is very important to my family.

Kungka Kutjara ananyi tjukula. A long time ago two women went to apu katu, to the hill around Antara. They were singing inma (song) and hitting the rock with a punu (stick). Maku tjuta (a lot of witchetty grubs) came from the tree we call Maku Ilykuwara (Witchetty Bush).

When we go out to Antara and sing inma, we collect maku tjuta and other bush tucker the next day.

My auntie Milatjari Pumani taught me how to respect Maku Tjurkurpa for Mimili Community. I also teach my daughters what Maku Tjurkurpa means. I am proud to be custodian of that country.

Anita Pumani

This painting is about Antara, a site close to Mimili Community that is very important to my family.

Kungka Kutjara ananyi tjukula. A long time ago two women went to apu katu, to the hill around Antara. They were singing inma (song) and hitting the rock with a punu (stick). Maku tjuta (a lot of witchetty grubs) came from the tree we call Maku Ilykuwara (Witchetty Bush).

When we go out to Antara and sing inma, we collect maku tjuta and other bush tucker the next day.

My auntie Milatjari Pumani taught me how to respect Maku Tjurkurpa for Mimili Community. I also teach my daughters what Maku Tjurkurpa means. I am proud to be custodian of that country.

Anita Pumani

This painting is about Antara, a site close to Mimili Community that is very important to my family.

Kungka Kutjara ananyi tjukula. A long time ago two women went to apu katu, to the hill around Antara. They were singing inma (song) and hitting the rock with a punu (stick). Maku tjuta (a lot of witchetty grubs) came from the tree we call Maku Ilykuwara (Witchetty Bush). When we go out to Antara and sing inma, we collect maku tjuta and other bush tucker the next day.

My auntie Milatjari Pumani taught me how to respect Maku Tjurkurpa for Mimili Community. I also teach my daughters what Maku Tjurkurpa means. I am proud to be custodian of that country.

Betty Campbell

Betty Campbell is a senior cultural leader in Mimili Community. She knows a lot of storylines and the corresponding inma (song & dance).

A lot of the inma is to be known by initiated women only, others can be celebrated by all. Betty loves to dance and teach the kids these stories that hold important lessons about the land and our relationship to it.

In her artwork, Betty paints Women’s Story. This is a story that cannot be spoken about. The lines and markings on the canvas are the markings used as body painting in traditional song and dance. When inma is performed, there is separate songs, dances and paintings for men and women. Whilst the women dance, the men sit, sing and watch, and the other way around.

Betty Campbell

Betty Campbell is a senior cultural leader in Mimili Community. She knows a lot of storylines and the corresponding inma (song & dance).

A lot of the inma is to be known by initiated women only, others can be celebrated by all. Betty loves to dance and teach the kids these stories that hold important lessons about the land and our relationship to it.

In her artwork, Betty paints Women’s Story. This is a story that cannot be spoken about. The lines and markings on the canvas are the markings used as body painting in traditional song and dance. When inma is performed, there is separate songs, dances and paintings for men and women. Whilst the women dance, the men sit, sing and watch, and the other way around.

Betty Campbell

Betty Campbell is a senior cultural leader in Mimili Community. She knows a lot of storylines and the corresponding inma (song & dance).

A lot of the inma is to be known by initiated women only, others can be celebrated by all. Betty loves to dance and teach the kids these stories that hold important lessons about the land and our relationship to it.

In her artwork, Betty paints Women’s Story. This is a story that cannot be spoken about. The lines and markings on the canvas are the markings used as body painting in traditional song and dance. When inma is performed, there is separate songs, dances and paintings for men and women. Whilst the women dance, the men sit, sing and watch, and the other way around.

Betty Campbell

Betty Campbell is a senior cultural leader in Mimili Community. She knows a lot of storylines and the corresponding inma (song & dance).

A lot of the inma is to be known by initiated women only, others can be celebrated by all. Betty loves to dance and teach the kids these stories that hold important lessons about the land and our relationship to it.

In her artwork, Betty paints Women’s Story. This is a story that cannot be spoken about. The lines and markings on the canvas are the markings used as body painting in traditional song and dance. When inma is performed, there is separate songs, dances and paintings for men and women. Whilst the women dance, the men sit, sing and watch, and the other way around.

Betty Campbell

Betty Campbell is a senior cultural leader in Mimili Community. She knows a lot of storylines and the corresponding inma (song & dance).

A lot of the inma is to be known by initiated women only, others can be celebrated by all. Betty loves to dance and teach the kids these stories that hold important lessons about the land and our relationship to it.

In her artwork, Betty paints Women’s Story. This is a story that cannot be spoken about. The lines and markings on the canvas are the markings used as body painting in traditional song and dance. When inma is performed, there is separate songs, dances and paintings for men and women. Whilst the women dance, the men sit, sing and watch, and the other way around.

Betty Campbell

Betty Campbell is a senior cultural leader in Mimili Community. She knows a lot of storylines and the corresponding inma (song & dance).

A lot of the inma is to be known by initiated women only, others can be celebrated by all. Betty loves to dance and teach the kids these stories that hold important lessons about the land and our relationship to it.

In her artwork, Betty paints Women’s Story. This is a story that cannot be spoken about. The lines and markings on the canvas are the markings used as body painting in traditional song and dance. When inma is performed, there is separate songs, dances and paintings for men and women. Whilst the women dance, the men sit, sing and watch, and the other way around.

Betty Campbell

Betty Campbell is a senior cultural leader in Mimili Community. She knows a lot of storylines and the corresponding inma (song & dance).

A lot of the inma is to be known by initiated women only, others can be celebrated by all. Betty loves to dance and teach the kids these stories that hold important lessons about the land and our relationship to it. In her artwork, Betty paints Women’s Story.

This is a story that cannot be spoken about. The lines and markings on the canvas are the markings used as body painting in traditional song and dance. When inma is performed, there is separate songs, dances and paintings for men and women. Whilst the women dance, the men sit, sing and watch, and the other way around.

Betty Campbell

Betty Campbell is a senior cultural leader in Mimili Community. She knows a lot of storylines and the corresponding inma (song & dance).

A lot of the inma is to be known by initiated women only, others can be celebrated by all. Betty loves to dance and teach the kids these stories that hold important lessons about the land and our relationship to it. In her artwork, Betty paints Women’s Story.

This is a story that cannot be spoken about. The lines and markings on the canvas are the markings used as body painting in traditional song and dance. When inma is performed, there is separate songs, dances and paintings for men and women. Whilst the women dance, the men sit, sing and watch, and the other way around.

Betty Campbell

Betty Campbell is a senior cultural leader in Mimili Community. She knows a lot of storylines and the corresponding inma (song & dance).

A lot of the inma is to be known by initiated women only, others can be celebrated by all. Betty loves to dance and teach the kids these stories that hold important lessons about the land and our relationship to it. In her artwork, Betty paints Women’s Story.

This is a story that cannot be spoken about. The lines and markings on the canvas are the markings used as body painting in traditional song and dance. When inma is performed, there is separate songs, dances and paintings for men and women. Whilst the women dance, the men sit, sing and watch, and the other way around.

Betty Campbell

Betty Campbell is a senior cultural leader in Mimili Community. She knows a lot of storylines and the corresponding inma (song & dance).

A lot of the inma is to be known by initiated women only, others can be celebrated by all. Betty loves to dance and teach the kids these stories that hold important lessons about the land and our relationship to it. In her artwork, Betty paints Women’s Story. This is a story that cannot be spoken about. The lines and markings on the canvas are the markings used as body painting in traditional song and dance. When inma is performed, there is separate songs, dances and paintings for men and women. Whilst the women dance, the men sit, sing and watch, and the other way around.

Betty Campbell

Betty Campbell is a senior cultural leader in Mimili Community. She knows a lot of storylines and the corresponding inma (song & dance).

A lot of the inma is to be known by initiated women only, others can be celebrated by all. Betty loves to dance and teach the kids these stories that hold important lessons about the land and our relationship to it. In her artwork, Betty paints Women’s Story. This is a story that cannot be spoken about.

The lines and markings on the canvas are the markings used as body painting in traditional song and dance. When inma is performed, there is separate songs, dances and paintings for men and women. Whilst the women dance, the men sit, sing and watch, and the other way around.

Umatji Tjapalyi

Umatji is a Yankunytjatjara woman born in Indulkana Community on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the far north west of South Australia. Umatji’s mother, Kunmanara (Kathleen Injiki) Tjapalyi was one of the founders and senior artists at Mimili Maku Arts.

Growing up, Umatji learned from her mother and father about their country and their storylines. Today, Umatji paints her mother’s country, which forms part of the Antara storyline, and is celebrated in Women’s Ceremony.

“I am proud to share what I was taught when I was a little girl. I am keeping my mother’s knowledge strong, keeping her country healthy and well. I was watching for a long time, watching country, watching my mother paint. Now I am ready to tell my own story.”

Umatji Tjapalyi

Umatji is a Yankunytjatjara woman born in Indulkana Community on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the far north west of South Australia. Umatji’s mother, Kunmanara (Kathleen Injiki) Tjapalyi was one of the founders and senior artists at Mimili Maku Arts.

Growing up, Umatji learned from her mother and father about their country and their storylines. Today, Umatji paints her mother’s country, which forms part of the Antara storyline, and is celebrated in Women’s Ceremony.

“I am proud to share what I was taught when I was a little girl. I am keeping my mother’s knowledge strong, keeping her country healthy and well. I was watching for a long time, watching country, watching my mother paint. Now I am ready to tell my own story.”

Umatji Tjapalyi

Umatji is a Yankunytjatjara woman born in Indulkana Community on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the far north west of South Australia. Umatji’s mother, Kunmanara (Kathleen Injiki) Tjapalyi was one of the founders and senior artists at Mimili Maku Arts.

Growing up, Umatji learned from her mother and father about their country and their storylines. Today, Umatji paints her mother’s country, which forms part of the Antara storyline, and is celebrated in Women’s Ceremony.

“I am proud to share what I was taught when I was a little girl. I am keeping my mother’s knowledge strong, keeping her country healthy and well. I was watching for a long time, watching country, watching my mother paint. Now I am ready to tell my own story.”

Umatji Tjapalyi

Umatji is a Yankunytjatjara woman born in Indulkana Community on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the far north west of South Australia. Umatji’s mother, Kunmanara (Kathleen Injiki) Tjapalyi was one of the founders and senior artists at Mimili Maku Arts.

Growing up, Umatji learned from her mother and father about their country and their storylines. Today, Umatji paints her mother’s country, which forms part of the Antara storyline, and is celebrated in Women’s Ceremony.

“I am proud to share what I was taught when I was a little girl. I am keeping my mother’s knowledge strong, keeping her country healthy and well. I was watching for a long time, watching country, watching my mother paint. Now I am ready to tell my own story.”

Biographies

Anita Pumani

Date of birth: 1982

Place of birth: Indulkana

Language: Pitjantantatjara

Anita Pumani lives at Mimili on the APY Lands in the northwest of South Australia. She grew up in Mimili and attended school in Adelaide.

As the oldest daughter to Teresa Mula and Ken Pumani, both senior cultural leaders in Mimili, she learnt about the importance of Tjukurpa early on. Her grandmother on her father’s side was Kunmanara (Milatjari) Pumani – one of the most revered of Mimili’s founding artists and her aunt is the award-winning painter, Betty Pumani. Her mother Teresa is one of Mimili Maku’s senior painters. Anita is one of four sisters, and now has three daughters of her own.

Growing up in such a strong line of women, Anita proudly shares women’s stories in her paintings. She often references Antara, an important women’s site close to Mimili community, and paints Maku (witchetty grub) Tjukurpa.

She has collaborated with her mother and her sisters on a number of works relating the Seven Sisters Story, which is deeply engrained in her family line.

Anita is one of the rising stars of her art centre Mimili Maku and has been an exhibiting artist since 2018.

Betty Tjulpukuna Campbell

Birth date: 1961

Birth place: Mimili, APY Lands, SA

Language: Pitjantjatjara

Betty has lived in Mimili her entire life. Born at Everard Park Station in 1961, she is a well respected Elder for Mimili Community. As a young girl, Betty recalls watching her father muster cattle at the old station. She spent her childhood on the station with her two siblings Teddy and Pauline Wangin.

Betty loves sharing her story and experiences with visitors to Mimili, often guiding trips to important sites in the area. Betty is a passionate singer and dancer, and loves to lead dance ceremony teaching the children at Mimili School about the different songs of their ancestors.

Betty creates paintings related to women’s ceremony, stories that can be painted and danced, but not spoken.

Umatji (Tanya) Tjapalyi

Birth date: 1974

Birth place: Indulkana, APY Lands, SA

Language: Pitjantjatjara

Umatji is a Yankunytjatjara woman born in Indulkana Community on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the far north-west of South Australia. Umatji’s mother, Kunmanara (Kathleen Injiki) Tjapalyi was one of the founders and senior artists at Mimili Maku Arts. Growing up, Umatji learned from her mother and father about their country and their storylines. Today, Umatji paints her mother’s country, which forms part of the Antara storyline, and is celebrated in Women’s Ceremony.

Whilst Umatji only commenced painting in 2021, she has already been recognised as one of the most talented emerging painters at Mimili Maku Arts and is currently working towards her first solo exhibition in 2022.

EVERYWHEN Artspace specialises in contemporary Australian Aboriginal art featuring paintings, barks, ochres, ceramics, sculptures and works on paper from 40 + Aboriginal art centres from around Australia. Directors Susan McCulloch OAM and Emily McCulloch Childs.

EVERYWHEN Artspace

39 Cook Street, Flinders VIC 3929

T: +61 3 5989 0496

E: info@everywhenart.com.au everywhenart.com.au

Minyma Maku

Anita Pumani, Betty Campbell, Umatji Tjapalyi

Everywhen Artspace

39 Cook Street, Flinders, Vic 3929 October 7-25, 2022