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Untitled

This painting portrays part of the artist’s country where their family lived traditionally during the pujiman (bush) days. The Martu lived very nomadically moving from water source to water source hunting and gathering bush tucker as they went. They would traverse very large distances visiting some areas in the dry and some in the wet season depending on the availability of water. As they travelled and hunted they would also burn areas of country creating a larger diversity of plant and animal life.

Categories: Shire of East Pilbara (Martumili Artists)

Name: Miriam Atkins

Language: Putijarra

Biography:

Miriam Atkins was born in 1947 on Bulloo Downs Station, located south east of Newman. She is the sister of highly acclaimed Martumili Artist Yunkurra Billy Atkins. Today Miriam lives between Newman and Jigalong Aboriginal community.

Miriam was one of the pioneering painters at Martumili Artists. She paints her family’s ngurra (home Country, camp), spanning from the southern end of the Canning Stock Route through to Kumpupirntily (Kumpupintily, Lake Disappointment). Miriam has developed a unique painting style, oscillating between naive realist landscapes and more highly abstracted depictions of her Country, blending traditional symbology with beautifully patterned motifs. Her paintings have been exhibited across Australia as part of several group exhibitions.

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© the artist / art centre