Walk bout lor buthu (beach) look round for kulap (match box seed) hide between thagau niss, lying on the beach shoreline, sometimes you need a stick or rake to move the thagau niss so you can see them kulap washed up on the shore.
Art Centre notes:
The basket is made of natural raffia / jute / sea chord / shells.
It is made using a traditional ‘one twist’ method. The dyes are commercial and colour fast.
Size of bowl: 11 x 20cm
Length of strap: 9cm
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.
“This is my country, my view of country.”
I still hunt my Grand Mothers country for goanna, bush medicine and yams.
I hunt all year round, hunting and walking through the country makes me happy. When I look at the distant hills I can feel my grandmother. Bush flowers are everywhere.
Painting my grandmother’s country reminds about those times.
The artists of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories sit.
These bush flowers grow seasonly in Alyawarr country, some of which are also used in bush medicine remedies.
“When I go out hunting, I like to see all the bush flowers that are flowering and then when I come back, I paint them.”
Mewana is a bush basket/scoop primarily made from mewana grass but sometimes from other fibres such as gunga (pandanus spiralis). Traditionally Yolngu made mewana baskets to carry bush foods such as baltji (yam) and warraga ngatha (cycad nuts). Sometimes mewana were used to scoop dhulumburrk (water lily) and other water reeds from the billabongs.
Kenny has depicted the long drive he takes through the beautiful Pilbara landscape.
It’s about all of the losses that I have experienced leading up to losing mum and now the heartbreaking moments that we are going through today. The circles represent my family members, starting from the older generation to the young.
When the tide goes out it drags back the water and leaves behind patterns in the sand. This painting represents the water and the sand. I like to paint my country from a bird’s eye view, looking down. I love the different textures and shapes of the landscape. They inspire my artworks.