Ngayuku Walka / My Design
Walka means design or pattern. Artists use this title to describe artworks that are pattern based rather than descriptive or telling a story.
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Sevania Kemarre Bonney – View of Country
The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories, the artists paint their country where those stories sit.
Sevenia was born in Soakage Bore, Utopia and started to paint when she was teenager. She learnt the way to paint landscape and bush medicine from her grandmother Eileen Bonney, a former health worker and artist. Sevenia finds painting soothing and enjoys to share this activity with her kids so they can learn as she did with her grandmother.
Knowing your country is an important part of living in a remote community like Ampilatwatja. Knowing when and where to go hunting and gathering, knowing where there is ‘soakage’ (where you can dig for water), travelling with family for ceremonies, and maintaining a connection with the land.
“This is my country, my view of country.”
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Kathleen Nanima Rambler – Awerle Anatye (yam plant)
When I go visit my family we drive along Bluebush Road, the road is south of Ali Curung towards the Stuart Highway. The road is sandy.
Bluebush Road has a dam, after Cyclone Tracey hit it was so large that it looked like the sea. This is where I see the big cream coloured bush tomatos, pink desert roses and goannas running across the road. All along the road is a sea of desert roses. The secret yams grow under the ground, you follow the cracks in the dirt and this is where you find the ripe yams. The secrets of the earth we call them.
The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories sit.
Printed on 300 gsm Stonehenge paper
220982350102
Kathleen Nanima Rambler – Awerle Anatye (yam plant)
When I go visit my family we drive along Bluebush Road, the road is south of Ali Curung towards the Stuart Highway. The road is sandy.
Bluebush Road has a dam, after Cyclone Tracey hit it was so large that it looked like the sea. This is where I see the big cream coloured bush tomatos, pink desert roses and goannas running across the road. All along the road is a sea of desert roses. The secret yams grow under the ground, you follow the cracks in the dirt and this is where you find the ripe yams. The secrets of the earth we call them.
The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories sit.
Printed on 300 gsm Stonehenge paper
220982350101
Kathleen Nanima Rambler – Awerle Anatye (yam plant)
When I go visit my family we drive along Bluebush Road, the road is south of Ali Curung towards the Stuart Highway. The road is sandy.
Bluebush Road has a dam, after Cyclone Tracey hit it was so large that it looked like the sea. This is where I see the big cream coloured bush tomatos, pink desert roses and goannas running across the road. All along the road is a sea of desert roses. The secret yams grow under the ground, you follow the cracks in the dirt and this is where you find the ripe yams. The secrets of the earth we call them.
The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories sit.
Printed on 300 gsm Stonehenge paper
220982350100
Kathleen Nanima Rambler – Awerle Anatye (yam plant)
When I go visit my family we drive along Bluebush Road, the road is south of Ali Curung towards the Stuart Highway. The road is sandy.
Bluebush Road has a dam, after Cyclone Tracey hit it was so large that it looked like the sea. This is where I see the big cream coloured bush tomatos, pink desert roses and goannas running across the road. All along the road is a sea of desert roses. The secret yams grow under the ground, you follow the cracks in the dirt and this is where you find the ripe yams. The secrets of the earth we call them.
The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories sit.
Printed on 300 gsm Stonehenge paper
220982350099
Kathleen Nanima Rambler – Awerle Anatye (yam plant)
When I go visit my family we drive along Bluebush Road, the road is south of Ali Curung towards the Stuart Highway. The road is sandy.
Bluebush Road has a dam, after Cyclone Tracey hit it was so large that it looked like the sea. This is where I see the big cream coloured bush tomatos, pink desert roses and goannas running across the road. All along the road is a sea of desert roses. The secret yams grow under the ground, you follow the cracks in the dirt and this is where you find the ripe yams. The secrets of the earth we call them.
The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories sit.
Printed on 300 gsm Stonehenge paper
115682351681
Raypiny Dhawu (Fresh Water Story)
All Aboriginal people originate from a spiritual source, fixed in a particular place in their land or the sea. These ‘spiritual reservoirs’ are often in the form of special waterholes made by Wangarr (creative spirits) that were created long ago close to the beginning of time. These creator beings moved across the countryside, shaping the land and implanting in each tract of country, the spiritual life force for the people who were to own it. These creative spirits took many forms and when they gave the land to each group, they also gave songs, dances, ceremony, the associated laws and language.
The creation story for Ganalbingu people took place near the middle section of the Glyde River where it becomes the Goyder River. Their land, Ngaliyindi, sits astride the Arafura Swamp in Central Arnhem Land. Many Ganalbingu artists paint totemic species significant to their clan. These can include baru (crocodile), banda (long necked turtle), buliya (catfish), yalman (waterlilies), gumang (magpie geese), dakawa (fresh water yabby), ratjuk (barramundi), warrnyu (flying fox) and more.
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Edie Kemarre Holmes – Antarrengeny
The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories sit. Antarrengeny is Edie’s country and also her Father’s.
In this painting Edie depicts Antarrengeny, “when there has been no rain and the land shimmers like jewels. It is the open flat country, after a bushfire, when only the young grasses and the trees are growing and where there is good hunting.”
Edie has a strong connection to Antarrengeny. She gave birth to two of her daughters ‘out bush’ on this land. It is her country and she loves it dearly.
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Yvonne Ngwarraye Bonney – My Hunting Country
The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories sit.
Yvonne has painted her favourite hunting country after rain. “This is when the storm ants come and make the goannas nice and fat, the ground is soft for digging honey ants and it’s when the bush foods and grasses come up and grow strong. The country is normally bare with small stones and rocks everywhere, but after rain, everything comes alive.”
Yvonne is a tremendous hunter, she is skilled in reading tracks and reading the land. Painting hunting country is important and special to her.