Artists of Ampilatwatja

---

---

Teleisha Pula Ross – Atyenh Amer Areyel Amper (My View of Country)

This 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.”

The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint altyerr (dreaming stories). The artists paint their country where those stories sit.

 

---

---

Diane Kemarre Ross – Atyenh Amper (My Country)

This is my country, it’s the country around Irrultja. This is where we like to go after big rain. After big rain there, we can go swimming. There is always good hunting on my country. It is good for me to paint my country and it makes me feel good.

The artists of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint altyerr (dreaming stories). The artists paint their country where those stories sit.

 

---

---

Kelvin Kemarre Ladd – Outback Horse Races

I like to paint what I see in my community and the Northern Territory, This painting is of the Outback Races, the jockeys, horses and the people watching

---

---

Teleisha Pula Ross – Atyenh Amer Areyel Amper (My View of Country)

This 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.”

The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint altyerr (dreaming stories). The artists paint their country where those stories sit.

 

---

---

Ntang Native Seeds

The seeds are collected under a tree by laying a tarp on the ground and hitting the tree continuously until most of the seeds have fallen. Once the seeds are collected they are then ground with a mortar and grinding stone.

A number of these grinding stones have been in families for generations. Once seeds are ground, water is added and mixed until a damper like substance is formed and placed under the coals until cooked.

Dimensions: 61 x 30 cm Acrylic on Linen

---

---

My Country – Jessie Ngwarraye Ross

The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories belong.
Jessie’s landscapes beautifully communicate the rich knowledge she possesses of medicinal plants and country, the heart of her culture.
Jessie’s has painted her country, Ampilatwatja. The brightly coloured flowers and small bushes are bush medicine and are still used within the community.
Jessie’s predominant theme in her paintings is ‘strong bush medicine’, demonstrating a deep connection to her country. Her work pays homage to the significance and use of traditional bush medicine, allowing an insight into her community. Yet underneath the iridescent surface, there is an underlying sense that there is more to this landscape than meets the eye. In keeping with the religious laws, Jessie reveals only a small amount of knowledge to the uninitiated.

Dimensions: 61 x 30 cm Acrylic on Linen

---

---

Ntang Native Seeds

The seeds are collected under a tree by laying a tarp on the ground and hitting the tree continuously until most of the seeds have fallen. Once the seeds are collected they are then ground with a mortar and grinding stone.

A number of these grinding stones have been in families for generations. Once seeds are ground, water is added and mixed until a damper like substance is formed and placed under the coals until cooked.

Dimensions: 30 x 30 cm Lino Print – Mud BrownS/H 300gsm

---

---

Jessie Pula Luck – My Bush Medicine Plants

I was born in Irrultja, my father’s country. I paint therrpeyt, a plant with red and pink flowers, it is my family symbol. You can suck the flowers to get a sweet honey from. You can wash your body with the leaves to heal sores and clean your body. I paint arreth which grows in the rocky ground and helps fix my sore throat when I make a hot tea from the leaves. I love to paint, I feel happy when I paint, I feel busy and good.

Dimensions: 61 x 61 cm Acrylic on Linen

---

---

Vicky Pula Holmes – Awangk Penh Kwaty – (Hunting After Rain)

After big rain the land is covered in flowers. I like to go collect bush flowers to make bush medicine for my family. I look for goanna too and bush bananas. These are my favourite.

---

---

Kathleen Nanima Rambler – Alpawe (Desert Plain)

When we go hunting on the land, sometimes we go to a land where there is a hill and a sandy plain, without no trees,only grass and bush potato plants. We go hunting for goannas and bush potoatoes, always bush tomatoes, because when you go hunting through the plains you can see the distance very clear, of the beautiful land and the beauty of the bright colour of the red sand, the beautiful bush desert roses.

I enjoy taking my kids out bush, show them the different plants and that I want to paint it on canvas