Artists of Ampilatwatja

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Julieanne Ngwarraye Morton – Atyenh Amper (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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Kindy Kemarre Ross – Arlekamern (Waterhole) Irrultja

When you look from top of the hill at Irrultja you can see the arlekamern (waterhole). Irrultja is my father’s country, it is my country. I used to swim in the waterhole when I was little. I think it is beautiful. I feel happy when I see my country, it is where the wildflowers grow, that is what I paint and it makes me feel nice

 

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Lucy Pula Luck – Atyenh Amey Amper (My Mother’s Country)

I paint my Mother’s country. I travelled all around my country with my mother when I was child, my mother showed me the bush medicine and bush tucker.

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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Gunderson Kemarre Lewis – Atyenh Anyany Amper (Great Grandmothers Country)

I paint my Great Grandmothers country around Canteen Creek. Long time ago she hunted around this soakage in this country. When I paint, I paint that country, the soakage the bushflowers the sandhills and the distant mountains.

I hunt this country now.

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Kiara Pula Ladd – Apmer (Land)

I am new to painting. I am a singer and I love to perform, I have a music video. My mum Robina Pitjara Jones and my dad Kelvin Kemarre Ladd are both great painters, and my dad is a singer too. I really like their work but I have my own style. I want to paint landscapes and I want to paint the colours that I see in my land.

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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.

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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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Robina Pitjara Jones – Atyenh Amper (My Country)

This is my country out in Utopia an outstation called Soapy Bore it’s  my Father’s country, there’s  big soakage, hills, bush medicine and bush tucker. All my family paint, my grandmother, my mother and aunties. I like to paint, I think about my country, the colours and my family who have gone.

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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Kelvin Kemarre Ladd – Ilenty (Galahs)

Our first pet was an ilenty (galah). My dad caught him, it used to be in the house all the time, feeding on Weetabix, yeah, but when he grew old and that, he started to fly around and coming back to places, and start talking to us. We taught him how to speak, he used to speak language (Alyawarr) sometimes English.

The Cloughs (owners of Epenarra Station in the 80s) used to have one in their homestead, that pet used to speak a lot of English and our galah came out there and started to pick things out. He started to come back and talking to us. Yeah. One day, he flew and never came back. Yeah.

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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.