Katjarra “This is my father’s Country; this is where my grandfather and grandmother come from. Katjarra is homeland for Putijarra, it’s their ngurra (home Country, camp). This is where pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) Martu used to live a long time ago. Most of them pass[ed] away and are buried there. Read more…
Wantili “Wantili (Warntili, Canning Stock Route Well 25) area, close to Parnngurr. My ngurra (home Country, camp), my jamu’s (grandfather’s) Country, my father’s daddy, Jakayu [Biljabu’s] daddy and my daddy’s Country. Jakayu been bury her father there. In pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) days, my family and Jakayu’s family been walking Read more…
Wantili (Warntili, Canning Stock Route Well 25) “That’s my jamu (grandfather) and nanna’s Country. I always go on a ranger trip there with my mum, Thelma Judson, and my little baby brothers, Junior and Jamie Rowlands.” – Lynette Rowlands Wantili (Warntili, Canning Stock Route Well 25) is a large round jurnu (soak) Read more…
Kulyakartu “My Country, Kulyakartu. I grew up there, from little boy to big boy grew up there.” – Muuki Taylor This painting depicts Kulyakartu, Muuki’s ngurra (home Country, camp). Kulyakartu is located in the far north of the Martu homelands, near the Percival Lakes region of Western Australia’s Great Sandy Desert. Read more…
Untitled The Western Desert term jila is used interchangeably to describe springs considered to be ‘living’ waters and snakes, both of which play a central role in Martu culture and Jukurrpa (Dreaming). During the pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) period, knowledge of water sources was critical for survival, and today Martu Read more…
Untitled This work portrays an area known to the artist, painted here from memory. During the pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) era one’s survival depended on their intimate knowledge of the location of resources; thus physical elements of Country, such as sources of kapi (water), tali (sandhills), and different varieties of Read more…
Pitu (Separation Well) “Pitu, soak, big one. Water there all the time. Pitu, the place for our whole family. [As a young girl] I walked around and went east back to my dad’s area, to Pitu and Kulilu, Nakaly and Kunapila. Then I was a teenager. My Country is Pitu Read more…
Kulyakartu “Long time ago I been there. It is my grandmother’s, grandfather’s, father’s, [and] mother’s country, Kulyakartu. I am painting this particular place. It keeps me connected, [gives me a] sense of belonging [to] tell my grandmother’s story through my art. Where she was born, I’m a part of that. It Read more…
Nyurnma (Freshly Burnt Country) Martu artists paint Country in all it’s different seasonal stages. Important to Martu, and to Martu Country, is the practice of waru (fire burning); a practice that assists with hunting, regenerates growth, and encourages greater diversity in plant and animal life. When Martu Country burns, mosaic Read more…
Nyurnma (Freshly Burnt Country) “This the waru [fire], points to orange area and this is nyurnma [burnt country] points to aqua area, here manguu [country ready for burning] points to small pink section.” -Muuki Taylor The practice of fire burning continues to be used today through the Martu homelands. Over thousands Read more…