Ngayuku Walka / My Design
Walka means design or pattern. Artists use this title to describe artworks that are pattern based rather than descriptive or telling a story.
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Alec Pula Lewis – View of Country
Alec was born at McDonald Downs Station. He grew up there with his family living traditionally on the land. Alec did not attend school, he moved between different communities with his family.
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.
“This is my country, my view of country.”
The artists of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint altyerr (dreaming stories). The artists paint their country where those stories sit.
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Beverly Pula Luck – My Mother’s Country
Beverly paints her Mother’s country. When Beverly was a child her mother took her all around her country and showed her the bush medicine and bush tucker.
The knowledge of the bush plants has been handed down through generation to generation and Beverly still spends time hunting and collecting bush medicine plants to use in everyday life. Taught by her mother and grand mother, Beverly also sings the songs of the bush medicine plants.
Beverly’s paintings are joyous and full of information regarding bush medicine plants.
The artists of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint altyerr (dreaming stories). The artists paint their country where those stories sit.
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Tjulpu Tjulpu
Two birds
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Daisy Kemarre Moss – My Mother’s Country
Daisy has painted her Mother’s country, Kngwarraye country. Kngwarraye is one of the four main skin names of Ampilatwatja.
Bush medicine, goanna and many other traditional bush foods are found here. This is where Daisy’s traditional laws lie.
Daisy paints her country to keep her country strong.
The artists of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint altyerr (dreaming stories). The artists paint their country where those stories sit.
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Cockatoos
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Ngayuku Walka / My Design
Walka means design or pattern. Artists use this title to describe artworks that are pattern based rather than descriptive or telling a story.
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Ngayuku Walka / My Design
Walka means design or pattern. Artists use this title to describe artworks that are pattern based rather than descriptive or telling a story.
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Djang’kawu sisters Creation Story featuring mud crabs longbums and lizards
This painting is part of the Djang’kawu sisters Creation Story. The details of this story can vary according to clan and/or country, but the central story is the same, which is one of fertility and procreation.
The Djang’kawu sisters gave birth to all the Dhuwa Moeity clans giving them language, land, law/lore, ceremony, songs and dances. As they travelled westward from Yirrkala, they travelled through all the dhuwa lands naming all the plants and animals and showed people how to use them. At the Glyde River, they hung their sacred dilly bags on a tree whilst they hunted. Men came and took the dilly bags and learnt all the songs and dnaces. Now the men condiuct all the ceremonies. The sisters decided to accept this as they (women) always retain their power as the bearer of children.
This painting is part of this story, it is a saltwater story featuring mud crabs, longbums and a water lizard and a drinking hole.
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Levina Pitjara Morton – My Country
When I paint, I think of the stories my Grandmother Lilly tells me of how she and her family used to live. Where they lived on her country as she was growing up and how they followed their mothers and their grandmothers.
When I go hunting with family for bush tucker and bush medicine it makes me think of Lilly’s stories, the way they used to live off the land, traditionally.
I paint those places my Grandmother tells me about, I paint how I imagine they were and the life they used to lead.
Levina’s fine dot technique requires a lot of time and patience, communicates the pride and passion she has for her paintings and her country.
The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint altyerr (dreaming stories). The artists paint their country where those stories sit.