Artists of Ampilatwatja

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Rosie Kemarre Morton – My Father’s Country and Bush Medicine

Rosie has painted her Father’s country, where she can always find bush tucker and bush medicine. She is very happy when out bush hunting and gathering, as it brings back memories of her childhood when she used to live traditionally off of the land with her family.

Rosie uses these hunting trips as her inspiration for her artworks, each one reflecting the layered landscape and various colours as she has seen them. They are always changing, with the light of day and the seasons of the year.

Rosie enjoys and understands the importance of painting bush medicine plants. They help in the healing of her people and it keeps the tradition and knowledge strong. These particular plants are very plentiful after rain and can be used for numerous conditions, such as skin irritations, flu, coughs and infections.

Rosie’s dreaming is the Araluta or kangaroo plant. This bush is a rich source of food for the kangaroos and keeps them fat and healthy and good for hunting.

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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Susan Ngwarraye Philomac – Spring Creek

Kwetyaylp (donkeys) and nantew (horses) would come and drink from the water at Spring Creek on my father’s country.  We would put a bucket in the sand we would filter the water so we could drink it. 

When I was young girl we would go to Canteen Creek following the track along the hills, we would hunt turkey, emus and kangaroo and we would cut the bark and collect the sap from the sugar bag trees. `

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Jacinta Pula Morrison – View of Country

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.”

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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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.