Artists of Ampilatwatja

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Latoya Ngwarraye Petrick – Artna Alpeyt (Bush Flowers)

These bush flowers grow seasonally in Alyawarr country, some of which are also used in bush medicine remedies.

I have just started painting, my grandmother Elizabeth Ngwarraye Bonney has been teaching me, she tells me all about the bush flowers.

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

Dimensions: 30 x 30 cm Acrylic on Unstretched Linen

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Dakota Ngwarraye Petrick – Artna Alpeyt (Bush Flowers)

These bush flowers grow seasonly in Alyawarr country, some of which are also used in bush medicine remedies.

My twin sister Lotoya and I have just started painting, our grandmother Elizabeth Ngwarraye Bonney has been teaching us, she tells us all about the bush Flowers and bush medicine.

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

Dimensions: 61 x 61 cm Acrylic on Linen

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Dakota Ngwarraye Petrick – Mwanyen (Bush Tomato)

My twin sister Latoya and myself have just started painting bush flowers.  Our grandmother Elizabeth Ngwarraye Bonney shows us the good way.

This is the first time I have ever printed using a lino carving.  I did the mwanyen (bush tomato) plant because it is sweet tasting fruit that we find in creek beds after the rain.

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Leanne Pula Teece – Arrweneng (Bush Passion Flower)

Wild passionfruit – passion flower, grows on our country Antarrengenye (unda ra ninya).

Arrweneng (bush passion flower) comes after the rain on our land. Passion flower is a beautiful purple flower; it grows on a tree. Once the tree flowers, it grows a fruit, we gather these once the fruit is ripe. We mash the berries in our hand and the sugars comes out, we eat it and it is sweet and delicious like honey

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Valerie Kemarre Lewis – Atyenh Amey Amper (My Mothers Country)

My mothers country is flowers, trees and mountains. I love to paint them. We see springs, the water from the springs is like rainwater, fresh and clean. We hunt goanna and turkeys, we roast them in the fire and the flesh is strong and sweet.

When we hunt we sleep at night next to the fire, the skies are big and the stars are beautiful, it makes me feel good.

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Alana Ngwarraye Holmes – Atyenh Amper (My Country)

I was born in Ali Curung, my father was Cigarette George, he was a drover and my Mother is Edie Kemarre Holmes.  My mother taught me to paint, I watched her when I was small, she is an important artist who was involved in the Utopia Batik movement and now paints at Ampilatwatja.  I spent my childhood around Murray Downs.

My paintings are influenced by my Fathers country. I was taught to hunt bush tucker, sugar bags, Kangaroo and Goanna when I was little.

I travel to my Mothers country on Antarrengeny outstation and I teach my kids and grandchildren to go hunting. 

I like to get busy on painting, it feels good.

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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Alec Pula Lewis – Atyenh Amer Areyel Amper (My 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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Elizabeth Ngwarraye Bonney – Tijamburra, My Homeland

My homeland is Tijamburra, Canteen Creek, I love that country, it is my Grandmother’s country and it is the only country that I paint. It is fresh country after the rain and it is always plentiful with bush tucker and bush medicine. There are many soakages (places to find water) and we have names for all of them. You can sit there in the shade of the big trees and I love to camp there, the little children in my family never want to leave and want to swim all day in the cool big swamps

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Lulu Pitjara Teece – Lizards Hiding in the Flowers

The lizards we see them hiding under the flowers waiting to catch the insects. The lizards are geckos that are pale with long tails, they live in a hole that they sleep in overnight and wait until the day to catch the insects which are ants and butterflies. They catch the the insects with their long tongues.

They have poison spray on their tails, they sprayed me once. We don’t catch and eat them because they are poison. They come out in spring when the flowers bloom, they hide underneath.

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Daisy Kemarre Moss – Lizards Hiding in the Flowers

The lizards we see them hiding under the flowers waiting to catch the insects. The lizards are geckos that are pale with long tails, they live in a hole that they sleep in overnight and wait until the day to catch the insects which are ants and butterflies. They catch the the insects with their long tongues.

They have poison spray on their tails, they sprayed me once. We don’t catch and eat them because they are poison. They come out in spring when the flowers bloom, they hide underneath.