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Wati kutjara – The goanna men

This is the story of two powerful magicians who came to the Ngaanyatjarra Lands from far away to the west;

‘These two men are always together, always camping together. They do all sorts of tricks when they travel across the lands as they stop from place to place. When they reached ‘Wirtapi Wara’ (Long Black or Blackstone Range) they argued about which way to go around. One went around the south side and the other the north side.

At a distance it seemed they didn’t recognise each other or perhaps they were just pretending not to recognise each other! It is also said that at Papulankutja they tricked each other by changing their appearance at the same time so they had no chance to recognise each other. The name Papulankutja comes from the Ngaanyatjarra word meaning, ‘to stare without recognising each other’.

Categories: Papulankutja Artists

Name: Craig Morrison

Biography:

Craig is a landscape artist based in Blackstone community on the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. He was raised at Norseman mission in WA where he met his wife, Janet Forbes who is also an established artist in Blackstone. He moved with Janet to Blackstone in the 80s when her father was establishing the new Papulankutja community. They have 3 children that all live in Blackstone with their own children. He is a family man, always surrounded by his grandchildren when he isn’t busy painting at the art centre.

Craig is a self taught artist who has developed his interest for landscape painting over the years travelling across the Ngaanyatjarra lands and observing country. He is able to paint using only his memory and the stories he has been told as a reference. 

Craig's landscape paintings reveal the beauty of the land that captivates him evident in his sweeping skies and lush flora in the foregrounds. Craig also paints the Wati Kutjarra Tjukurrpa (The Two Goanna Men Dreaming). The Wati Kutjarra dreaming is depicted in the dot-style of painting. 

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