This design is based on the many native flowers that grow locally in Pukatja and through the Musgrave Ranges. When we go out to the bush, we see all the different colours from many plants growing. Flowers are important to the women and the health of the land, and much excitement is felt as they burst into life.
Walka means design or pattern. Artists use this title to describe artworks that are pattern based rather than descriptive or telling a story.
This design is based on the many native flowers that grow locally in Pukatja and through the Musgrave Ranges. When we go out to the bush, we see all the different colours from many plants growing. Flowers are important to the women and the health of the land, and much excitement is felt as they burst into life.
Favourite bush foods of Anangu Pitjantjatjara include maku (witchetty grub). Until recently, bush foods were the primary sustenance for Anangu Pitjantjatjara. Many bush foods are still gathered regularly almost exclusively by women, thus they feature strongly in women’s mark making. Women learn the art of gathering each of the foods from a young age and much inma (ceremony) relates to these practices and the maintenance of supply. Anangu say that eating maku is good for the brain and mental health.
Maku live in the ilykuwara tree, or witchetty bush, a tall shrub or a small tree. The maku live in the roots of the ilykuwara and this design is a depiction of its leaves.
Walka means design or pattern. Artists use this title to describe artworks that are pattern based rather than descriptive or telling a story.
Walka means design or pattern. Artists use this title to describe artworks that are pattern based rather than descriptive or telling a story.
The story about maku (witchetty grub) is as vast and winding as their tracks depicted in my artwork. It’s a story that I need to hold onto, to keep it safe. It’s important for me to keep some of these stories a secret, so I will tell a safe version that isn’t dangerous for you to hear. I will tell it from another perspective.
These important stories like this maku tjukurpa (story) inform my artwork and help Anangu to understand our history. Maku is important for Anangu as a source of good food and also shows us an example of how beings can evolve and grow in positive ways. If the Maku travel underground for a long time they eventually make it out of the root systems of those trees and grow nyalpi (wings) and start a new way of being. They evolve. They shed their old ways and become new again.
As a pastor, I can see strong connections between our tjukurpa and the Bible. Long before Jesus, there was Tjukurpa and God together. I can see that God was always with us, in our stories; Jesus came later. I am trying to pass all this knowledge on to our young people to keep our stories alive. We need to hold on tight to tjukurpa; to keep it safe.
Artists use this title when they are depicting their Country. It might be a representation of a particular place or of different aspects of that area. The artist uses a combination of colour and design to indicate variations in the landscape. Inspiration is drawn from all elements of Country and might include bush tucker, water holes, meeting places, rock formation, birds or animals.
Jeffrey paints his favourite birds that live in the country around Ernabella. These include the kuparu (magpie), partilpa (Port Lincoln ringed neck parrot), kayarkiyarpa (galah), tjintir-tjintirpa (willy wag-tail), piil-piilpa (yellow throated minor) and kuurkuurpa (owls).
.
They would use the vine of this plant as rope to help carry coolamon with kids. Make like a bag and carry the kids in this. My grandmother was called Arratherrk and her sister was calle Pwelk, the leaf of the bush banana. At Elkedra there is two vine trees and each sister is named after each one.