Wangakalu Jakayu and Bugai lived nomadically for much of their youth, travelling extensively around the Western Desert in the pujiman (bush dwelling) era. Often their families walked together for periods of time through the year, typically separating for a time and then arranging to meet again further along at a Read more…
Wangakalu Jakayu and Bugai lived nomadically for much of their youth, travelling extensively around the Western Desert in the pujiman (bush dwelling) era. Often their families walked together for periods of time through the year, typically separating for a time and then arranging to meet again further along at a Read more…
Untitled This painting portrays part of the artist’s country where their family lived traditionally during the pujiman (bush) days. The Martu lived very nomadically moving from water source to water source hunting and gathering bush tucker as they went. They would traverse very large distances visiting some areas in the Read more…
Untitled “When Martu paint, it’s like a map. Martu draw story on the ground and on the canvas, and all the circle and line there are the hunting areas and different waters and tracks where people used to walk, and [some you] can’t cross, like boundaries. So nowadays you see Read more…
Wantili Wantili is a large jurnu (soak) and lyinji (clay pan) near Well 25 on the Canning Stock Route. Wantili lies within Jakyu’s ngurra (home country), and she travelled extensively around this site as a young girl. The area is dominated by claypans surrounded by tuwa (sandhills). Following rain the claypans are filled with water, with Read more…
Untitled This painting portrays physical elements of Martu Country, such as the dominant tali (sandhills), warta (trees, vegetation), and water sources. Rock holes, waterholes, soaks and springs were all extremely important sites for Martu people during the pujiman (nomadic bush) era, with many important jukurrpa (dreamtime stories) chronicling the creation Read more…
Kulyakartu “My Country, Kulyakartu. I grew up there, from little boy to big boy grew up there.” This painting depicts Muuki’s Country, Kulyakartu; an area in the far north of the Martu homelands, near the Percival Lakes in the northern Great Sandy Desert. The artist has extensive knowledge of the Read more…
Kinyu (Canning Stock Route Well 35) Kinyu (Canning Stock Route Well 35) is a small yinta (permanent spring) that was a popular camping ground during the pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) era. The site is home to the ancestral mother dingo, who is both a generous provider and fierce protector of Read more…
Ngalyod (Rainbow Serpent) The rainbow serpent is a powerful mythological figure for all Aboriginal people throughout Australia. Characteristics of the rainbow serpent vary greatly from group to group and also depending on the site. Often viewed as a female generative figure, the rainbow serpent can sometimes also be male. She Read more…
Wantili Wantili, which forms the focus of much of Bugai’s work, is a large round jurnu (soak) and lyinji (claypan) near Well 25 on the Canning Stock Route. It lies close to Bugai’s birthplace, and is her ngurra (home country). The area is dominated by claypans surrounded by tuwa (sandhills). Read more…