Kumpupirntily (Kumpupintily, Lake Disappointment)- Helen Dale Samson “Clouds here. It’s dry, no water, but still flowers grow.” – Helen Dale Samson Kumpupirntily (Kumpupintily, Lake Disappointment) is a stark, flat and unforgiving expanse of blinding salt lake surrounded by sand hills, located in the Little Sandy and Gibson Desert of Western Australia. Read more…
Near Watchpoint Hill “This one here is Watchpoint Hill near to Jigalong, with all the sandhills and the walyji (river gums). We got warla (lakes) there too. Jigalong is where I grew up.” – Helen Dale Simpson Mirtikanya is a hill and claypan close to Balfour Downs Station and north of Read more…
All Animals in the Desert “When Martu paint, it’s like a map. Martu draw story on the ground and on the canvas, and all the circle and line there are the hunting areas and different waters and tracks where people used to walk, and [some you] can’t cross, like boundaries. Read more…
Linyji (claypan) – Kuru Gladys Bidu “This linyji story, it’s about when the old people used to be living in the desert, a long long time ago, thousands of years ago. They used to make a hole in the linyjii,, for the wilyki (seed), using the wind to separate the seed (from the Read more…
Pitu (Separation Well) – Kuru Gladys Bidu “I paint Pitu because my father come[s] from Pitu and all the rest of the family, they belong to there. Family hear the stories all the time from Jakayu [Biljabu]. It’s their connection to that place. All the old people were walking through that Read more…
Lizard Dreaming “When Martu paint, it’s like a map. Martu draw story on the ground and on the canvas, and all the circle and line there are the hunting areas and different waters and tracks where people used to walk, and [some you] can’t cross, like boundaries. So nowadays you Read more…
Kaalpa (Kalypa, Canning Stock Route Well 23) “From Tiwa (Canning Stock Route Well 26) we used to travel to Kaalpa (Kalypa, Canning Stock Route Well 23), mummy and daddy used to take us around there, [my sister] Pinyirr and me. From Kaalpa we would go to Jilkupuka (Canning Stock Route Read more…
Parnngurr “We were climbing Parnngurr hill; we were frightened. Kartiya (Europeans) would walk around, trying to catch Martu people. We would run up the hill and hide. We watched them catch people. We were eating flour that white people gave us. It was horrible. From [Parnngurr rockhole], we got in Read more…
My Grandmother’s Way This site forms part of Sharon’s ngurra (home Country, camp) through her grandmother, Katjarra Butler. Located east of Kiwirrkurra, on Pintupi country. “I’m painting my grandmother’s country, her way. Katjarra style.” – Sharon Palmer When Martu paint, it’s like a map. Martu draw story on the ground and on the Read more…
My Grandmother’s Way This site forms part of Sharon’s ngurra (home Country, camp) through her grandmother, Katjarra Butler. Located east of Kiwirrkurra, on Pintupi country. “I’m painting my grandmother’s country, her way. Katjarra style.” – Sharon Palmer When Martu paint, it’s like a map. Martu draw story on the ground and on the Read more…