The Desart Radar Summer 2022

Art, words and photos from Central Australian Aboriginal Art Centres

Quarterly edition, Summer 2022

THE DESART RADAR

Bush Trips

Thirty Balgo people, young and old, ventured 500km south of Balgo to Wilkinkarra (Lake Mackay), some for the fist time. Wilkinkarra is the homeland of so many Balgo families and the subject of some of the greatest paintings where artists have mapped the meaning of this Country for the world and future generations on canvas. Important sites were visited and connections made with families from Papunya Tula Artists and Tjamu Tjamu ranger group. Karrunpa Palya (spirit happy)

Funded through Aboriginal Arts Commissioning Fund.

Image: Angela Lyons, Mildred Lyons, Janet Forbes, Angilyiya Mitchell and Jennifer Mitchell resting in their swags after a long drive to Kuru Ala from Blackstone. Image courtesy Papulankutja Artists.

“It’s important for us, visiting this place. Camping out and sharing the big stories.” – Anawari Mitchell, on a recent bush trip with other ladies from Papulankutja Artists.

The ladies visited Kuru Ala, a sacred seven sisters place south of Blackstone for cultural maintenance, story-telling, collecting of a very special bush medicine and painting.

Supported by Ngaanyatjarra Land and Culture.

Image: On Country at Wilkinkarra. Photo courtesy Warlayiriti Artists.

2022 Shepparton Art Museum Indigenous Ceramics Award

Emerging Ernabella Arts artist Anne Nginyangka Thompson has won the prestigious 2022 Shepparton Art Museum Indigenous Ceramics Award!

“My artwork represents that we should care for nature and the environment, our homes belong to us all. Animals and humans have been created for each other to enjoy. I love nature, I grew up in the bush. Peacefully, we grew up together, experiencing life in the bush. This is how it is supposed to be, we live together, animals and humans. My works are to remind people that animals in the world need our help and care.”

Images: (left) Anne Nginyangka Thompson’s winning stoneware piece titled Strong Family Connection (below) Anne Nginyangka Thompson with her ceramic work. Image courtesy the art centre.

Ikuntji Artists designs showcased in Europe!

Ikuntji Artists recently travelled across the globe to witness their designs being showcased on European fashion runways!

Keturah Zimran and Roseranna Larry flw to Paris and Venice to see their stories of bold colour and forms amongst fashion royalty.

The artists’ tour coincided with the September book launch of Ikuntji Textiles which documents the development of the art centre’s textile designs from t-shirt workshops to presenting on national and international stages.

“I’m really, really happy about my designs and my paintings…I’m so proud for my career.” – Keturah Zimran

Image: Aurélia Bizouard and Keturah Zimran. Photo by Dr Chrischona Schmidt, courtesy Ikuntji Artists.

Image: One Big Mob, All Mixed Up by Utopia sculptor and artist Dinni Kemarre Kunoth. Photo by Document. Photography, courtesy of UAP | Urban Art Projects.

Don’t Stamp On Country

Iltja Ntjarra artists’ new mural is a poignant colourful work that reimagines the 2002 Birth Centenary of the Albert Namatjira Mini Sheet stamp set. Iltja Ntjarra artists are proud to once again pay homage to past family members and celebrate the excellence of their artwork in application and medium.

Funded by Project Seed, a Red Hot Arts Central Australian initiative to support local artists in their development and creation of new work.

Images: (top) Old Man Albert’s Truck by Mandy Malbunka, (bottom clockwise from top left) Black Cockatoos Having a Yarn by Delray Inkamala, Urrampinyi (Tempe Downs), NT by Selma Inkamala, Kwartatuma (Ormiston Gorge), NT by Dellina Inkamala, Old Man Albert’s Truck by Mandy Malbunka, Desert Blooms by Vanessa Inkamala, Rutjipma (Mt Sonder), NT by Reinhold Inkamala, Tjoritja (West MacDonnell Ranges), NT by Mervyn Rubuntja, Albert Namatjira Painting His Country by Dianne Inkamala.

Image: Dinni Kunoth Kemarre, with his wife Josie Pitjara Kunoth and daughter Malanda Kunoth with his sculpture, Sydney Cricket Ground. Image courtesy the art centre.

One Big Mob, All Mixed Up

“Those yellow and orange ones are the Alyawarr team from my country, my brothers from the desert. The blue and red mob, they’re from far away, from Sydney near the ocean. Desert team playing that ocean team, both teams playing together, like one big mob. Maybe this top man is an Aboriginal man, maybe the whole team is Aboriginal team? Or maybe this one is a white man or could be other one, like all mixed up. One big mob all mixed, like Australian team all together… then the people come and join the pile up, all together, all mixed up.”

Dinni Kemarre Kunoth is a respected painter and sculptor who lives and works from the remote homeland of Apungalindum in Utopia, Central Australia. His new large-scale sculptural commission ‘One Big Mob, All Mixed Up’ can been seen outside the new Sydney Football Stadium. On visiting the installation Dinni says, “It was a good trip. The fist time I’ve had a look at Sydney. The sculpture looks good in that place. It makes me happy.”

Muyen

Recently, a group of Papunya Tula artists and art workers took a trip to visit the site Muyen, and see Edith Nampitjinpa’s outstation. They stopped on a bush track to collect ashes from the good white trees, and the ladies went to pick wildflwers and collect bush tucker - pangkuna (bean pods) and pura (bush tomatoes). Kathleen Nampitjinpa

(pictured) returned to the troopie with an armful of kalinykalinypa

(honey grevillea) flwers, to eat the sweet nectar. Then it was time for a cook up of roo-tail and toasty damper, in a dry creek bed in the shade.

Photo by Grace Dwyer, courtesy the art centre.

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23 December – 3 January Desart office closure

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