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Status: Stock

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Mukurtu – Nancy Chapman

Poster from the 2014 MCA exhibition ‘Martu Art from the Far Western Desert’, featuring a detailed section from the collaborative Martumili Artists painting, ‘Mukurtu’, by sisters Nyanjilpayi Nancy Chapman, May Mayiwalku Chapman and Marjorie Yates.

“This one Mukurtu, spring water yinta (permanent spring). Nana mili (belong), Daddy, sister, brother’s ngurra (home country). We walk around here long time [ago]”.

Mukurtu is an important yinta (spring water) that is in the middle of a salt warla (lake), it is situated kayili (north) of Tiwa (Well 26) on the Canning Stock Route. In order to access the fresh water at the site the yinta must first be cleared by removing the warta (shrubs) growing around its edges. Surrounding this area are many lyinji (clay pans) scattered all around.

When the artist was young she travelled around this area with her two mommies, her daddy and her sisters. There is a lot of tuwa (sand hills) all around the outside of the lake and lots of grass. The grass that grows in this area is called Kukurlyul. There is lots of rabbits there now, good meat and lots of other good tucker around.