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Art, words and photos from Central Australian Aboriginal Art Centres

Winter 2024

2026 words photos

THE DESART RADAR

Adrian Jangala Robertson Shines in Three Big Art Prizes!

Congratulations to Adrian Jangala Robertson for being a finalist in all three major art prizes; Archibald, Wynne and Sulman at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. This is Adrian’s third consecutive year as an Archibald finalist and his second time being a finalist in all three prizes. Adrian Jangala Robertson is Warlpiri from the Central Desert, and lives in Mparntwe/Alice Springs. His subject, Dylan River, is Kaytetye, an acclaimed film director, writer and cinematographer from Mparntwe. Adrain's work in both the Wynne Prize, With my sister, when I was a stockman, underglaze oxide, sgraffito and clear glaze on stoneware, and for the Sulman, Julie and Adrian at Yalpirakinu, synthetic polymer paint on canvas 122 cm x 62 cm both depict his sister and fellow artist Julie Nangala Robertson.

Image: Adrian Jangala Robertson, Dylan River, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 61 x 61 cm.

Photography by Ruth McMillan. Image courtesy of Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists.

The Fire Relit at Nyinkka Nyunyu

After a two-and-a-half-year closure and major refresh, the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art & Culture Centre in Tennant Creek has reopened, welcoming community and visitors back to the sacred Nyinkka site. Operated by Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation, the centre remains a vital cultural hub for Warumungu people, sharing language, stories, and history through exhibitions, programs, and cultural experiences. The renewed gallery spaces are already active, with a strong program of solo and group exhibitions, events, workshops, and talks planned. Tennant Creek Brio artists are excited to again have a dedicated visual arts space, with new opportunities scheduled in coming months. Since reopening on April 28, locals and visitors have returned in encouraging numbers, engaging with the space in fresh ways. The team is focused on supporting artists, strengthening professional pathways, and building connections across the Barkly and broader Aboriginal arts sector. The centre is open Tuesday to Saturday, with expanded programming ahead.

Image: The entrance to the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art & Culture Centre in Tennant Creek. Photography by Shauna Upton, courtesy Nyinkka Nyunyu Art & Culture Centre.

From Fossils to Form: Anmatyerre Visions of Alcoota Megafauna

Anmatyerre Artists from Engawala Art Centre, 18 km North east of Alice Springs, have been learning new hand-building ceramic skills. Inspired by the local Alcoota fossil beds of ancient megafauna bones. The artists are creating freestanding ceramic animals and sgraffito pots depicting ancient animals from their local area. Including the Alcoota Kolopsis, a small relative of the short-faced kangaroo, Palorchestes, a herbivorous marsupial known as a “marsupial tapir”, Baru iylwenpeny, an extinct species of “cleaver-headed” crocodile, Wakaleo alcootaensis, an extinct species of marsupial lion, and Dromornis stirtoni, a giant flightless bird thought to be related to the emu.

h 20 x w 22 cm.

handbuilt stoneware clay with underglaze and sgraffito h 19 x w 14 cm.

sgraffito

Photography by Claire Freer, courtesy Engawala Art Centre.

Game On!

JamFactory’s Game On exhibition coincided with the AFL Gather Round 2026 and celebrates the energy and culture of Australian rules football, played with passion in every community with a footy oval. The exhibition brings together First Nations artists from across the country with many from the Desart membership including Dinny Kunoth (Utopia Arts), Natasha Namatjira Carroll (Ernabella Arts), Evelyn Young, Chantelle Mulladad, Lauren Bloomfield, Margaret Bloomfield, Cherelle Williams and June Smith (Keringke Arts) Conway Ginger (Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists) and Carolyn Kenta, Daisybell Kulyuru, Imiyari (Yilpi) Adamson, Carolyn Kenta, Yuminia Kenta, Imuna Kenta, Tjulyata Kulyuru, Noreen Heffernan, Jacinta Heffernan, Diane Dawson and Kunmanara Adamson (Tjanpi Desert Weavers).

Other exhibitors in the exhibition include Alfonso Puautjimi (Ngaruwanajirri) and artists from Iwiri Arts.

The exhibition runs until 21 June at JamFactory Seppeltsfield, South Australia.

Images: Carolyn Kenta, Football Player #1 Wati and Football Player #10 Kungka, 2025, 445 x 200 x 260 (Wati), 470 x 230 x 205 (Kungka) tjanpi (native desert grasses), raffia, wool, terracotta, nuts & bolts. Tjanpi Desert Weavers. Photography by Connor Patterson, courtesy of JamFactory.

Desert Mob & VLAA: Holding Country, Honouring Legacy

Desert Mob returns to the Araluen Arts Centre from 10 September to 25 October 2026. Now in its 35th year and fifth presentation by Desart, the program includes the Desert Mob Exhibition, Artist Talks, Art Market, workshops, demonstrations, and satellite events across Mparntwe/Alice Springs. Curated for the fourth consecutive year by Hetti Perkins (Arrernte and Kalkadoon) and Aspen Beattie (Luritja, Warumungu and Yawuru) this year’s event continues to celebrate the strength and diversity of Central Australian Aboriginal art.

In 2026, Desart again partners with the Central Land Council to present the Vincent Lingiari Art Award, honouring the legacy of the Wave Hill Walk-Off and land rights movement. Marking 50 years since the Aboriginal Land Rights (NT) Act 1976, the exhibition theme is Our Country, Our Culture: 50 Years of Land Rights. The award includes a $10,000 major prize, plus two $2,000 awards.

Curated by Kelli Cole (Luritja and Warumungu) the exhibition opens 17 August at the Araluen Arts Centre with winners announced at Desert Mob’s official opening on 10 September.

The full program will be released in July. We look forward to celebrating with you at Desert Mob and the Vincent Lingiari Art Award.

Image: Louise Robertson of Yarrenyty Arltere Artists at their Soft Sculpture Workshop at Desert Mob Marketplace, 2025. Photography by Sara Maiorino.

Desart Conference 2026

The Desart Art Centre Conference was held in April, bringing people together from across Central Australia for several days of connection, sharing, and celebration.

On Arrernte Country, artists, art workers, directors, and cultural leaders gathered to talk, listen, and learn from one another. The conference created a space where conversations could unfold naturally—whether in workshops, presentations, or moments in between—strengthening relationships and reinforcing the shared commitment to keeping Aboriginal art centres strong.

Across the program, important topics were explored, from governance and ICIP to WHS and AI, with each session grounded in the lived experiences and knowledge of those in the room. More than anything, the gathering was a reminder of the power of coming together on Country—making space for reflection, for exchange, and for growing stronger as a connected community. We hope to see you all again at the Conference in 2027!

Image: L-R Mandy Malbunka, Dellina Inkamala, Raelene Inkamala, Tyler Arnold, Vanessa Inkamala and Kathy Inkamala of Iltja Ntjarra Many Hands Art Centre. Photography by Sara Maiorino.

Key dates 2026

5 – 6 July National Indigenous Art Fair

5 – 12 July National NAIDOC Week

2 – 3 August Country to Couture

5 August National Indigenous Fashion Awards

6 – 9 August Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF)

7 August NATSIAA

17 Aug – 18 Oct Vincent Lingiari Art Award Exhibition

10 September Vincent Lingiari Art Award winner announcement

10 September Desert Mob Official Opening

11 September Desert Mob Artist Talks

12 September Desert Mob Art Market