Tuwa (Sandhills) The traditional lands of the Martu people encompass the Great Sandy Desert and Rudall River regions of Western Australia, an enormous tract dominated by distinctive red tali, or tuwa (sandhills). These sandhills present an unforgiving landscape; sparse vegetation covers a seemingly never ending expanse of dunes, and yet Read more…
Partjantja “Katjarra’s [Katjarra Butler] ngurra (home Country, camp). Birthplace. [It is] sandhill country. Rockhole, little bit of rocks. And in the sandhill, there is a jurnu (soakwater). They take that water, come out [of the soakwater]. Partjanta the name of that jurnu. Main one. She [Katjarra Butler] been go jina [foot, walking]. Early days. Walking [to] Kintore, Papunya.” “I’m Read more…
Waterholes, Emu Tracks, Tuwa and Rabbit Proof Fence “Emu go to the springs to have a drink of water and then move on to the next one.” – Judith Anya Samson Puntawarri is an important cultural area, as well as the site of a now abandoned community, a waterhole, creek Read more…
Mungili Waterholes and Rock Holes “I was swimming there. Yeah, we go visit them a long time [ago]. We drink it, rain water from the rain. Big waterhole. It’s a fresh water, when the rain comes, fills it up. One for swimming and another rock hole for drinking.” – Marlene 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…
Two Countries: Kun Kun (Kuny-Kuny) and Nganjirr “Grandfather’s Country, not far from Well 33, called Nganjirr. Not far, [you] can go up by car. Go camping there. When it rains, fills up, then is dry. Two Countries – Nganjirr and Kun Kun (Kuny-Kuny), Marlene’s Country. [You] can just go out for Read more…
Wantili (Warntili, Canning Stock Route Well 25) “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 Read more…
Jilukurru (Killagurra Springs, Canning Stock Route, Well 17) “When I went back to my County, I thought how beautiful the spinifex was. How the sun glazed against the spinifex. The county that I speak of is Jilukurru, my grandfather’s Country.” – Kathleen Maree Sorenson Jilukurru (Killagurra Springs, Canning Stock Route Read more…
Untitled “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 see Read more…
Two Countries: Kun Kun (Kuny-Kuny) and Nganjirr “Grandfather’s Country, not far from Well 33, called Nganjirr. Not far, [you] can go up by car. Go camping there. When it rains, fills up, then is dry. Two Countries – Nganjirr and Kun Kun (Kuny-Kuny), Marlene’s Country. [You] can just go out for Read more…