Yapu (Rock) This is Yikartu’s Country- her ‘ngurra’ (home Country, camp). People identify with their ngurra in terms of specific rights and responsibilities, and the possession of intimate knowledge of the physical and cultural properties of one’s Country. Painting ngurra, and in so doing sharing the Jukurrpa (Dreaming) stories and Read more…
Untitled 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 fire scars are Read more…
Tuwa (Sandhill) in pujiman (bush born) time, my country 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 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…
Mangala Country “My father’s Country. This is the four soaks in his Country.” – Emily Bumba
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…
Tali, 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 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…
Julapanja, Wirrkuja “This Jilapunga rockhole. Kayili (east) from Yungara. Always kapi (water) there, pujiman (traditional, desert-dwelling Martu) would drink from there. All bush-tucker there, womula (bush tomato), and minyarra (bush-onion). Barli [the artist’s daughter] was little one walking around that place. Pujiman time. This one rockhole, Julapanja, that’s a claypan, Wirrkuja. Water Read more…
Wantili, Canning Stock Route Area “This is Wantili, this is my Country, Amy’s Country, everybody’s Country. . It’s the hill and all the kapi (water). This one big Country, big area, pubajba (hills) claypan- big one. Water been running, rolling, rolling from these hill here. Trees and spinifex all the Read more…