Untitled “I like to paint bush foods and flowers.” – Mary Rowlands Depicted in this work are a combination of desert flowers and traditional types of mayi (plant food). During the pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) period, Martu would traverse very large distances annually in small family groups, moving seasonally from water source to 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…
Wirlarra (Wilarra) Wirlarra, the site depicted in this painting, lies on the eastern edge of a large salt lake, Nyayartakujarra (Lake Dora), near Punmu Aboriginal community. A distinctive group of small salt water pools are clustered together here. The water from these pools is known for its’ powerful healing properties, Read more…
Flowers This work depicts the remarkably diverse flora found through Martu Country. These plants are not only vital as significant food sources, but also celebrated for their aesthetic splendour. In the context of the often harsh and arid environments in which desert flowers bloom, their vibrancy, delicacy, and variation become even Read more…
Wirlarra (Wilarra) Wirlarra, the site depicted in this painting, lies on the eastern edge of a large salt lake, Nyayartakujarra (Lake Dora), near Punmu Aboriginal community. A distinctive group of small salt water pools are clustered together here. The water from these pools is known for its’ powerful healing properties, Read more…
Punmu Yabu “Punmu hill, that’s all the little rocks. That’s the wood, big ones. We camped there, eagle’s nest in Punmu, dreamtime story” – Elizabeth Toby In Martu the word Yabu translates to rock or hill. Punmu Yabu is the site of a large rocky hill near the community of Read more…
Nyinpingka Nyinpingka, know as native fuchsia in English, is a small to medium shrub that produces pink flowers. Usually after good rains Nyinpingka prolifically produces bright pink flowers that you can pull off the bush and suck honey from. The leaves can also be boiled to make a drinking medicine or Read more…
Pilbara Communities The traditional lands of the Martu people encompass the Great Sandy Desert and Rudall River regions of Western Australia, and include speakers of Manyjilyjarra, Warnman, Kartujarra, Putijarra and Martu Wangka languages. Since the 1980’s Return to Country movement, many Martu have chosen to live in remote Aboriginal Communities, Read more…
Willy Willy The term willy willy describes small whirlwinds or dust devils, and is believed to have come from an Aboriginal language in Western Australia. During the pujiman period, Martu would traverse very large distances annually in small family groups, moving seasonally from water source to water source, and hunting and gathering Read more…
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…