September 2025

Fly Dreaming

Fly chased the insect everyway and the insect went straight into the limestone hill and the Fly followed and they both got stuck. Till today you can see the white coloured rock that turns into the egg from the fly.

The Whole World in My Hand

Overlooking the universe millions and trillions of miles away captured by James Webb’s telescope my expressionism.

Untitled

Martumili Artists work with over three hundred artists from remote Martu Aboriginal communities, including Punmu, Parnngurr, Kunawarritji, Jigalong, Irrungadji (Nullagine), and Warralong, as well as from the Parnpajinya (Newman) gallery and studio spaces. Known for their diverse, energetic, and unmediated painting styles, their works reflect the dramatic geography and scale of their homelands. Each artist, however, brings a unique approach to their craft.

Younger Martu artists often start painting alongside their parents, grandparents, and extended family, which fosters an organic learning process. This not only involves mastering painting techniques but also understanding specific locations, family histories, traditional ways of life, bush tucker, and Jukurrpa (Dreaming). Over time, with encouragement from their peers, they develop their own distinct styles and explore unique painting techniques and subject matter. In this work the artist brings a contemporary, evolving perspective to their work.

Kimberly Bloom

After fire you can see all the wild flowers come out. You can see it from above in a bird’s eye view. They grow everywhere around the country, especially the flat country, not as much on the hills. They grow anywhere there has been fire, when you travel through the Kimberley Country you can see it everywhere, as far as the eye can see.

Karlkula (Bush Banana)

Karlkula (bush banana, silky pear or native pear) is a vine found throughout the dry regions of Western Australia and Central Australia. From November to April, and following rains, the plant produces fruit. When young, the green fruit is eaten raw. Older fruits are cooked and the seeds eaten.

During the pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) period, Martu would traverse very large distances annually in small family groups, moving seasonally from water source to water source, and hunting and gathering bush tucker as they went. Whilst desert life has moved away from mobile hunter-gatherer subsistence throughout the course of the twentieth century, bush tucker continues to be a significant component of the modern Martu diet. Hunting and gathering bush tucker remain equally valuable as an important cultural practice that is passed on intergenerationally. Though hunting and gathering implements have been modernised, methods of harvesting, tracking and the use of fire burning to drive animals from their retreats are still commonly practiced today.

My Life Story

I grew up at Manora Station with my mother and father. My mother worked in the homestead as a domestic and my father used to hunt foxes and dingos away from killing the sheep. My parents never received wages, only clothes and food. Everyone had to work at the station including the kids which wasn’t fair because we needed to go to school but it was too far. They sent teachers to come and pick up children (Indigenous teachers) to go La Grange Mission from Nita Downs, Anna Plains and Menora Wallal Downs for schooling. One day I didn’t want to go to work so the station hand reported that to the station manager, he then spoke to me and my mother and told us to leave so we walked to the turnoff where we got a lift to Sandfire. The next day we walked to Anna Plains but at one of the windmills on the way there got a lift the rest of the way, then continued on to La Grange Mission.

Untitled

Martumili Artists work with over three hundred artists from remote Martu Aboriginal communities, including Punmu, Parnngurr, Kunawarritji, Jigalong, Irrungadji (Nullagine), and Warralong, as well as from the Parnpajinya (Newman) gallery and studio spaces. Known for their diverse, energetic, and unmediated painting styles, their works reflect the dramatic geography and scale of their homelands. Each artist, however, brings a unique approach to their craft.

Younger Martu artists often start painting alongside their parents, grandparents, and extended family, which fosters an organic learning process. This not only involves mastering painting techniques but also understanding specific locations, family histories, traditional ways of life, bush tucker, and Jukurrpa (Dreaming). Over time, with encouragement from their peers, they develop their own distinct styles and explore unique painting techniques and subject matter. In this work the artist brings a contemporary, evolving perspective to their work.