Artists of Ampilatwatja

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Elizabeth Ngwarraye Bonney – My Homeland Tijamburra

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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Maisie Petyarre Bundey – Anhelengkw (Emu) Dreaming

Anhelengkw (emu) dreaming is the breast body painting depicting the story of the mother emu who runs away and leaves the father emu to look after the eggs until they hatch, he then raises the chicks.

This story is passed down through Maisie’s family and celebrated in dance.

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Selina Pula Teece – Arrweneng (Passion Flower)

Wild Passion fruit grow on our country Antarrengenye (unda ra ninya).

Bush Passion flower comes after the rain on our land.  We gather these once the fruit is ready.

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Selina Pula Teece – My Fathers Country

Anterrengeny is my Fathers country.

I paint the country that come from, the beautiful landscapes and the many colours as they change during the season.

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Elizabeth Ngwarraye Bonney – My Homeland Tijamburra

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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Jessie Ngwarraye Ross – My Country

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.

The community 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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Kindy Kemarre Ross – Irrultja is My Country

My country is called Irrultja, it’s past the hill and the dried-up creek from here, it’s a nice place, my dad’s country too, and my Mum’s country is here in Ampilatwatja. When I go to see my country, we always go to gather bush medicine, we always climb up the hill that’s in the south, we always go there.

We like to look out over the land and there are lots of flowers and bush medicine up there. I love my countryside; I see the nice flowers and gather bush medicine for me and my family. I like to paint a mix of wildflowers and bush medicines in all my paintings because it reminds me of my favourite part of my country and when it rains the flowers come out. Yeah, my countryside.

The community 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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Joyrene Ngwarraye Holmes – Wildflowers

When I go hunting for aker arlkerl (echidna) around the sandhills of Ampilatwatja I always spot the wild flowers and honey flowers.  We tap the Bankias against our hand and get the honey, it is sweet to taste.

 After the rain and bushfires all the new flowers pop up around me. My favourite time of the year is winter when it is cooler to walk and hunt. 

The community 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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Julieanne Ngwarraye Morton – My Country, My Bush Medicine

My Mother, Lilly Kemarre, taught me to paint. She likes to paint her Mother’s and Father’s country from the old days, when they used to live off of the land.

The landscape changes during the different seasons in the year. I paint the dried flowers and bushes from last season as well as the new plants that come after the rain. These plants have special meanings and uses for us. I have been taught how to read the country, and now I teach my children these skills.

Julieanne’s painting’s are inspired by her Mother’s stories of the old days, walking and living on their land, and also of her own experience of life out here in Alyawarr country.

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Kathleen Nanima Rambler – My Fathers Country

I paint the country of my Father and Mother and where they grew up, near Barrow Creek.

This is the painting of my Father’s country, where I grew up. When we would go hunting, we always climbed those hills. We would take the kids hunting too and take photos of the hills.

I use bright colours and beautiful attention to detail expresses the love and joy that I have for the country closest to my heart.

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