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My Country – Heather Pitjara Corbett

“I like going hunting for bush tucker and bush medicine flowers. I like to see the different landscapes of this country and watch the seasons change. The landscape reminds me of my parents and my grandparents. This is where they would hunt too” – Heather

The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories, the artists paint their country where those stories sit.

This painting shows the layered landscape of Alyawarr, Central Australia. 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.

Name: Heather Pitjara Corbett


Language: Alyawarre



Biography:

Heather has been painting with Artists of Ampilatwatja only for the past couple of years. Her art works have been sent to a number of galleries around Australia. She uses bright colours and mixes fine dot work with sometimes naïve presentations of country, the result is a vibrant artwork that communicates her love for her country and the simplicity of living on it.

Her paintings are titled; ‘My Fathers Country’

"My Father is from this country. Rosie Ross and Josie are from the same family line, they knew him well. He passed when i was a baby, I don't know much about him. But I know his country. All my Father's family are here, living in Ampilatwatja.

I like to paint his country. I like going hunting and to town because I like to look and see the different landscapes and the blue hills sometimes in the distance, the grasses and the trees, the bush medicines and the flowers." - Heather


© the artist / art centre