Waru used to live all across central Australia but now they are only found in two small areas near Pukatja and Kalka on the APY Lands. Jeffrey has long been known for his paintings of local birds and in 2025 he has started depicting waru.
Name: Jeffrey Lewis
Language: Pitjantjatjara
Community: Ernabella (Pukatja)
Biography:
Jeffrey comes from a strong artistic family. His mother Atipalku Intjalki began working at the art centre over fifty years ago, back when Ernabella artists were producing camel wool rugs, and she is still painting in the art centre today. His sisters Michelle, Langaliki and Lynette Lewis are all highly regarded Ernabella artists.
Jeffrey started painting at Ernabella Arts in 2019. He has a physical disability and he doesn’t speak. He began by painting small greeting cards and eventually moved to ceramics and canvases. Jeffrey lives near the footy oval where the Pukatja Magpies, the local footy team, train. He is ninti (knowledgeable) for magpies and loves painting them. He has a book of all the different birds from the Ernabella region and this is what he specialises in depicting.
Ngayuku Ngura – My Country 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 Read more…
Tjukula/Waterhole For the Pitjantjatjara people living in the desert, knowledge of their water sources was critical to their survival. This resulted in an intimate understanding of the landscape which continues today. Water is an essential Read more…
Kaliny-kaliny / Honey Grevillea Stories are told of the Kaliny-kaliny or Honey Grevillea flower which is a favourite bush food of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara (people). Ultukunpa grows in the sandy soils on the plains. The Read more…