THE DESART RADAR

Tjawinaku Tjukurrpa Nyinantja –The life of Tjawina

Over the last 12 months, Tjawina Nampitjinpa Porter has been working on a major project to document her Country, history, stories and Tjukurrpa. She has created twelve new paintings representing important sites selected by Tjawina and her family, and worked closely with her daughter Dr. Elizabeth Marrkilyi Ellis to produce a film that brings life to her paintings, her stories and her Tjukurrpa.

“Tjawina Nampitjinpa Porter is my mother. She has lived her life in desert country, a world away from the cities of Australia. It’s an arid land – a beautiful land – a network of water sources that are ours. The richness of Tjawina’s knowledge and skill comes from a life spanning immense societal change. Thanks to the power of her storytelling and her endless generosity, Tjawina continues to give not just to her families, but to the entire world.”

– Dr Elizabeth Marrkilyi Ellis

This important project, collection and film will be showcased at RAFT Artspace in Mparntwe from the 27th April 2023.

Funded through Australia Council for the Arts. Supported by Tjarlirli Art.

Warlayirti Artists

Yanama-rniya nyawa, tjakulypa palya kulila! Come here and see, hear this good message!

Over three weeks of in-language consultations, Warlayirti Artists’ directors, staff, community leaders & linguist/consultant Dukepa!, overhauled the art centre’s ‘whitefella’ strategic plan into a document founded upon the cultural strength of Kutjungka people’s connection to country, culture and lore.

Yiwarra Kutju, Tjukurrpa Laltu

One Path, Lots of Tjukurrpa.

Our plan is centred on the importance of Kutjungka cultural worldviews and protocols: around working tjungarni – right-way.

(continued over page)

The plan outlines in Kukatja & English the key steps that the arts centre needs to take in order to achieve & sustain the ambitions of community. These can be summarised by answering the following questions:

• FOUNDATIONAL

Tjukurrpa Walytjaku “For the Tjukurrpa we’re connected and belonging to”

Are we going on Country & learning from old people?

Are all staff & directors (Yapa & Kartiya) listening, learning & understanding each other – ngaparrku-ngaparrku (reciprocity/two-way relationships)?

• FINANCIAL

Wanku Mankuraku “In order to obtain funds”

Is the cultural & artistic strength of Warlayirti reflected in its reputation within community & externally?

Good painting, strong sales.

• SUSTAINABLE

Wulukarra Marrka Nyinaranku “In order to keep staying strong for all times”

Is Warlayirti safe? Are artists & families able to live in community with a sense of togetherness & empowerment?

Marrka-la nyinakuwanpa kutjuwarra. Nyamu.

Strong – we all need to remain strong, all together as one. That’s it.

Tangentyere Artists and Yarrenyty Arltere Artists – ACMI X ARTBANK COMMISSION

In 2022, Mparntwe-based artists Sally M Nangala Mulda (Arrernte and Southern Luritja) and Marlene Rubuntja (Arrernte and Western Arrarnta) were awarded the final ACMI x Artbank Commission to create a new video artwork and to continue to build on their celebrated practices. Nearing 12 months later, the artists’ animation Arrkutja Tharra, Kungka Kutjara, Two Girls premiered alongside their original artworks as part of Two Girls from Amoonguna, showing at ACMI from May 9 – August 20, 2023.

The animation tells the story of Sally and Marlene and their enduring friendship from their childhood in Amoonguna settlement to their lives as leading Town

Camp Artists today. Co-written by the artists and Courtney Collins, and narrated by Marlene and her family, the work shares the artists’ successes and struggles and calls attention to the reality of First Peoples’ experiences across Central Australia.

Arrkutja Tharra, Kungka Kutjara,Two Girls was made in collaboration with Ludo Studio, the Emmy-award winning production company behind Bluey, Robbie Hood and The Strange Chores, alongside Left of Elephant Sound, Tangentyere Artists and Yarrenyty Arltere Artists and supporting staff.

The commissioned artwork is now held in the Artbank and ACMI collections. Following its showing in Melbourne, it will tour with the accompanying exhibition to diverse audiences around the country!

Art Centres in Paris

Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters was an Aboriginal-led exhibition that took visitors on a journey along the epic Seven Sisters Dreaming tracks, through art, First Nations voices and innovative multimedia and other immersive displays. The exhibition, which showcases five First Nations songlines from Australia’s Western and Central Deserts uses over 300 paintings and photographs, objects, song, dance and multimedia to narrate the story of the Seven Sisters and their creation of the continent as they travelled from west to east. After its debut at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra the exhibition is touring internationally

Five Central Australian artists travelled to Paris for the opening of the exhibition at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in April 2023: Alison Milyika Carroll, Anawarri Mitchell, Corben Clause Williams, Tapaya Edwards and Brenda Douglas.

Our tjukurpa (story) is important, not only Seven Sisters, but lots of stories. When we’re working in our own communities putting our stories on canvas and ceramics and tjanpi, we’re telling our story to everybody, all over the world. Tjukurpa and inma (ceremony – singing and dancing) is important, telling the stories to other people to know what Anangu culture is in our communities and in our lands. We’ve got these stories in our spirit and in our body. I was so happy to see this important Seven Sisters story in Paris. – Alison Milyika Carroll

Walkatjara Artists – Tjakura Project

Giant Tjakuṟa (Great Desert Skink) recently appeared among the sand dunes of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Artists from Walkatjara Art, Uluru created sculptures of Tjakura in preparation for the Mulyamiji March national monitoring program. The painted sculptures were crafted using wire, recycled materials and plaster. The project involved younger artists who are training as Park Rangers, with input from senior Anangu knowledge holders Josephine Mick and Judy Yuka Trigger.

The Mulyamiji March program is conducted by Indigenous Rangers across three states, aiming to protect and preserve the Tjakura, which is threatened by the impacts of wildfire and feral cat predation. The program is a collaboration between scientists, land managers, and the Australian Government, and is supported by the Indigenous Desert Alliance. Data collected from the program forms part of the Indigenous-led National Recovery Plan (which includes traditional burning and cat management) and is a crucial step towards protecting and preserving this incredible species for future generations.

Tjakuṟa tjukurpa is strong, with many songs, sites, and stories across the Central Desert area. The powerful sculptures serve as a reminder of the importance of preserving Anangu tjukurpa and the ecological significance of Tjakuṟa.