Origins - Early Works on Paper from Founding Mangkaja Artists

ReDot Fine Art Gallery in collaboration with Mangkaja Arts presents:

Origins Early Works on Paper from Founding Mangkaja Artists

Wednesday, 6th February to Saturday, 9th March 2013

For a high resolution, downloadable, PDF version of the this catalogue, with pricing, please send us an email to info@redotgallery.com Thank you.

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ReDot Fine Art Gallery would like to advise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers that this catalogue may contain images or names of deceased people.

PREVIOUS SPREAD Artists travelling to the Karrayili exhibition - September 1991

“It is hard to convey what a delight it is to come to work after two and a half years and still be able to unearth such staggeringly beautiful works, which in most instances predate the incorporation of the art centre some twenty years ago.�

Guy HAYES, 2013

Origins - Early Works on Paper from Founding Mangkaja Artists “Sometimes things get mislaid, lost, forgotten even, and never serve a purpose. Luckily this incredibly strong body of work remained hidden, protected and safe, almost with the reasoning that one day it would be needed to mark a very special anniversary.”

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Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency, better known as Mangkaja Arts, is a vibrant Aboriginal owned art centre located in the township of Fitzroy Crossing, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Mangkaja, meaning wet weather shelter, was established in the late 1980’s by a small group of artists to support cultural, social and economic development in the region, though not officially incorporated in its current form until 1993, it represents artists across four language groups within the region – Bunuba and Gooniyandi of martuwarra (river country), and Walmajarri and Wangkajunga from the jilji (sand-hill country of the Great Sandy Desert).

The artists of this community are renowned for their uninhibited style and lively use of colour, painting images of country that share stories of culture and identity and over the years it has produced some of Australia’s most important Aboriginal painters such as Butcher Cherel, Stumpy Brown, Cory Surprise and Paji Honeychild to name but a handful.

With the art centres 20th anniversary looming it was imperative that “something special” be proposed to acknowledge this landmark community’s involvement in the development of the Modern Aboriginal Art Movement.

Imagine everyone’s surprise when the current art coordinator at Mangkaja Arts, Guy Hayes, called us in Singapore to reveal with excitement the unearthing of a significant body of work on paper from the early 1990’s by three important founding artists of the community, which had been locked away in storage and previously unseen.

As Guy recants, “it is hard to convey what a delight it is to come to work after two and a half years and still be able to unearth such staggeringly beautiful works, which in most instances predate the incorporation of the art centre some twenty years ago.”

As to why it is that many of these works have remained un-catalogued over the years will remain a mystery to all involved, though presumably the constant movement of the art center’s premises has impacted in part on this occurring. Regardless as to the cause, such significant works deserve to see the light of day and to have their intended purpose realised.

This beautiful and simplistic body of work comprises of three of the late founding members of Mangkaja Arts, Wankurta Peanut Ford,Yata Gypsy Yadda, and Wakartu Cory Surprise. All three of these strong Walmajarri women began painting in the late eighties through the Karrayili Adult Education Centre, and participated in the landmark exhibition “Karrayili” which was held in 1991 at Tandanya National Aboriginal Institute in South Australia.

This formed the first major exhibition of artworks of the people from Fitzroy Crossing.

The exhibition and the ongoing work at Karrayili was the precursor to the fledgling Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency that was, as mentioned, later incorporated in 1993.

An interesting anecdote can be taken from the “Karrayili” exhibition catalogue; “…For them, their own style did not fit into what they felt was ‘Aboriginal painting’. This phase of questioning the validity of their own visual imagery was short lived, however, and the work has maintained the same vitality which has developed since the classes began at Karrayili…”

All three artists portray their desert country in stark contrast to the Central Australian and Balgo artists of the same era. A beautiful and light simplicity covers the paper conveying images of country no less intimate or meaningful as to their counterparts from other regions. The late Nyuju Stumpy Brown was once quoted as saying that ‘the artists know very clearly what they are allowed to paint and that their paintings are ‘right’.

Of the three artists, two had relatively short careers; having taken to the practice of painting late in their lives. Guy feels looking at the depth and vibrancy of these amazing artworks, so many years after their creation, it is almost unfathomable how these artists were not fully recognised or documented within the context of the Aboriginal Art Movement. Wankartu Peanut Ford who passed only a year after the art centre was incorporated paints beautiful iconographies from her desert country, depicting the various landmarks with an assured but light hand.

The second,Yata Gypsy Yadda appears to have been well ahead of her time, or at least the market. Specifically we can draw similarities within her artworks to the now triumphant and highly sought after artist Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori from Mornington Island, though interestingly Yata’s initial works predate Gabori’s by almost 18 years.

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The third, the esteemed Wakartu Cory Surprise I had the fortunate pleasure of meeting several times and Guy of working with for a year and a half prior to her passing. In Guy’s own words “she was one of the most beautiful people I have had the opportunity to meet and her artworks were simply amazing. With a career spanning over twenty years, these works by her are seminal, giving context to her early practice from the late 80’s and early 90’s prior to her more prominent and well known work on canvas from the latter half of the 2000’s.”

It is only fitting that in the 20th year of the art centres incorporation, Mangkaja Arts are embarking on a significant international exhibition program. In collaboration with ReDot Fine Art Gallery, over 2013/14, we will be exhibiting works which demonstrate the raw strength and diversity of this community from its early genesis to the current day.

Sometimes things get mislaid, lost, forgotten even, and never serve a purpose. Luckily this incredibly strong body of work remained hidden, protected and safe, almost with the reasoning that one day it would be needed to mark a very special anniversary.

To be able to exhibit such early works after so many years is an incredibly joyous and exciting development for Mangkaja Arts and ReDot Fine Art Gallery; we hope you enjoy the exhibition and this journey back in time to the “Origins” of a very special place, community and art centre.

Giorgio Pilla Director ReDot Fine Art Gallery

Guy Hayes Art Coordinator Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency

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TOP Artists painting a collaborative work during their Karrayili show - September 1991 BOTTOM Karrayili hang at Tandanya, Adelaide - September 1991

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Wankurtu Peanut FORD

Kurrjalparta Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 76cm x 113cm wp176/95

This is my where l was born called Kurrjalparta. My mother died here when l was young. This rocky country has lots of dead trees here.

(Deceased December 1994)

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Wankurtu Peanut FORD

My Mother Country Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 76cm x 112cm 270/12

This is my mother country that’s way out in the desert, l never seen my mother she passed away when l was born.

(On reverse [Artwork completed] 09/1993)

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Wankurtu Peanut FORD

Jilji Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 76cm x 112cm 619/12

In the desert we walked from one water hole to the next.

We walked through the desert country. The jilji (sandhills) in some places are high and it is hard to see over them.

This water was hard to find. The sandhills made it hard to walk to that water.

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Wankurtu Peanut FORD

My Country Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 76cm x 112cm 269/12

This is my country. I was taken from here when I was very young. It is salty, dry country. Nothing lives here now.

(Artwork completed 31/07/1993)

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Wankurtu Peanut FORD

Desert Country Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 75cm x 106cm 271/12

This is my mother country got trees and grass and jilji (sandhills) way in out the desert.

(On reverse [Artwork completed] 28/05/1993)

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Wankurtu Peanut FORD

Salt Country Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 75cm x 105cm 184/12

This is my country. l was taken from here when l was very young it is dry country now the trees are dead nothing lives there any more. It salt country.

(On reverse [Artwork completed] 19/03/1993)

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Wankurtu Peanut FORD

Kurrjalparta My Mother Country Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 76cm x 102cm 189/12

This is jilji and waterholes that is my mother country way out in the desert called Kurrjalparta.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Wankurtu Peanut FORD

My Country Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 250gsm Velin Arches 76cm x 56cm 268/12

This is my country. I was taken from here when I was very young. It is salty, dry country. With trees dead, nothing lives here now.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Wankurtu Peanut FORD

Kurrjalparta Derivan Matisse Acrylic, 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 76cm x 56cm 618/12

This is the country where I was born. I left here when I was a baby. My mother died here in this country. It is low very stony country. It is on the Fitzroy Crossing side of the Canning Stock Route.

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Wankurtu Peanut FORD

Desert Country Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 250gsm Velin Arches 76cm x 56cm wp636/92

This is my mother country got trees and grass and jilji (sandhills) way in out the desert. My family lived here many years ago.

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Wankurtu Peanut FORD

Tarpu Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 250gsm Velin Arches 75cm x 56cm wp549/93

This is called Tarpu. There are two jila (waterhole) here. We do not touch one of them, Kalpurtu (Dreamtime snakes) is living there so we do not touch that water. We drink from the other jila.

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

Jarriyi My Family Country Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 75cm x 105cm 166/12

This country is called Jarriyi, it is pirntinurlkal, claypan country. When the rain falls down and fills the flat areas it makes a big lake. My people walk for miles from waterhole to waterhole. We used to drink from this waterhole . We sing about this country, in the Ngarrangkarri (Dreamtime).

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

My Family Country Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 75cm x 105cm wp155/98

This country is called Jarriyi, it is pirntinurlkal, claypan country. When the rain falls down and fills the flat areas it makes a big lake. We used to get water from here.

We have ceremony here sing about this country. In the Ngarrangkarri (Dreamtime).

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

My Country Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 75cm x 105cm wp041/96a-b

This country is called Jarriyi, it is pirntinurlkal, claypan country. When the rain falls down and fills the flat areas it makes a big lake. We used to get drinking water here. We sing about this country. In the Ngarrangkarri (Dreamtime) this my country. This is jumu (soakwater) at Winpa.

On the bottom is grass. Salty parts are surrounding the waterhole and the red gravel. On the top are rocks.

Collaborative work with Tjigila Nada Rawlins

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

Tarpu Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 75cm x 104cm wp213/00

This is my country where I was born. There are pirra (billabong) and jumu (soakwater) in my country.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

Pirnti Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 76cm x 56cm wp167/98

This is my country. It is called Pirnti (near the Canning Stock Route). There are lots of bush foods like kumpupaja (bush tomato) and minyirli. Minyirli is a berry, it is white and the size of a marble. We would poke a stick through each one (like satay) and take them home for the kids. During the hot and dry season we would dig very deep holes for water. We call these holes Jurl Jurl. The holes fill up with good water. We camped around these Jurl Jurl for a long time until the water dried out, then we would move on looking for more water holes. I want to go back and visit this country.

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

Waterholes Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 76cm x 56cm wp283/99

These are little waterholes from the rain. There are trees in this country called miljirli. They have bright yellow flowers and sweet sap like honey. It is good to eat.

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

Tarpu Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 250gsm Velin Arches 75cm x 53cm 157/12

This is my country where I was born. There are pirra (billabong) and jumu (soakwater) in my country. My family walked this country passing through from place to place.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

Tarpu My Country Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 250gsm Velin Arches 75cm x 53cm 162/12

This is my mother’s country in the desert. I was born here at Tapu Jila (permanent warterhole), it is good water. In the wet time there are pirra (small billabong) all around this country. There are jumu (soakwaterholes) and mungku (antbeds) here too.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

Near Tarpu Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 250gsm Velin Arches 75cm x 53cm 182/12

This is all about country side, flat country we use go walkabout with our parents showing use how to hunt for food and to live off this land.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

Tarpu Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 250gsm Velin Arches 75cm x 53cm wp149/99

This is my country where I was born. There are pirra (billabong) and jumu (soakwater) in my country that’s way out the desert.

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

Tarpu Waterhole Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 250gsm Velin Arches 66cm x 50cm 181/12

This Tarpu Country living water, it’s my country. I used to live here many years ago.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

Jarriyi Salt Lake Water Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 250gsm Velin Arches 65cm x 50cm 172/12

This country is called Jarriyi, it is pirntinurlkal, claypan country. When the rain falls down and fills the flat areas it makes a big lake.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

Tarpu Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 250gsm Velin Arches 65cm x 50cm 173/12

This is my country where I was born. There are pirra (waterholes) and jumu (soakwater) in my country.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

Tarpu Country Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 250gsm Velin Arches 65cm x 50cm 174/12

This is my family’s country that’s way out in the desert, l grew up here, in this country we called Tarpu.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

Jarriyi Jila Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 250gsm Velin Arches 65cm x 50cm 183/12

There are three small waterholes and one big waterhole my family lived here many years ago they use to hunt and lived off this land called Jarriyi.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

Jarriyi Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 250gsm Velin Arches 60cm x 50cm 160/12

This country is called Jarriyi, it is pirntinurlkal, claypan country.When the rain falls down and fills the flat areas it makes a big lake. We used to get drinking water here. We sing about this country. In the Ngarrangkarri (Dreamtime) two men travelled across this country and burnt themselves with fire a long time ago.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Yata Gypsy YADDA

Jumu Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 53cm x 38cm 617/12

The circles are jumu (soakwater holes). We dig jumu when the creeks are dry and there is no water.

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Wakartu Cory SURPRISE

Pulpu Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 76cm x 113cm 186/12

This is one of the places we passed through while walking around the Great Sandy Desert.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Wakartu Cory SURPRISE

Salt Water Lake Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 76cm x 112cm 272/12

These are the jumu in my country, the Great Sandy Desert.

Good place for camping and to find bush tucker.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Wakartu Cory SURPRISE

Ngarrangkarni Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 76cm x 112cm 273/12

I was born here at pirrmal. This is a place for ceremony.

This is a place for men and womens ceremony. The men ’play’ on one side and the women on the other. The line down the middle was made in the Ngarrangkarni (Dreamtime) when the women walked this way.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Wakartu Cory SURPRISE

Jilji Country Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 76cm x 112cm wp193/01

This is my country in the Great Sandy Desert. The jilji (sandhills) are all through this country. We find good bush food all along the jilji. It is good country.

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Wakartu Cory SURPRISE

Wirrikarjarti Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 76cm x 105cm wp030/96

This is my family’s country called Wirrikarjarti. There are lots of jilji (sandhills) and one waterhole. This is a jila (permanent waterhole). When I was a kid my family used to bring me here a lot. We went hunting and walkabout here. We used to camp here too. I have painted the wirlany.

Wirlany is a cloud that gives us a sign for rain.

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Wakartu Cory SURPRISE

Wayampajarti Jila Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 280gsm Velin BKF Rives 75cm x 106cm wp651/92

“Wayampajarti jila (waterhole) big one. Quiet snake here, he’s a good one, we cry out - no trouble. We camped there a long time ago. He good snake, he don’t bite that one, he good one.”

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Wakartu Cory SURPRISE

Wyampajarri Derivan Matisse Acrylic - 250gsm Velin Arches 76cm x 60cm 156/12

This is an important jila (spring) for ceremony. This is my country in the Great Sandy Desert. This painting was painted for dancing the Wyampajarri corroboree.

(Artwork completed early 90s)

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Wankurtu Peanut FORD Language Country Born 80

: Walmajarri : Kurrjalparta, (along the old Canning Stock Route) : 1/7/25

Wankurtu Peanut Ford was born in the desert, circa 1925 as far as records show. Her mother died when she was a baby and she grew up in the bush, living a traditional life.

Her country was Kurrjalparta, (along the old Canning Stock Route, on the Fitzroy Crossing side) and her work often depicted scenes from this area. It was a barren place, stony, with little water and no rivers running through it. Lanyi, whom had known Peanuts mother found her here and saved her, Peanut herself, had no recollection of her mother.

As Peanut would say ‘In the desert we walked from one water hole to the next. We walked through the desert country. The jilji (sandhills) in some places were high and it was hard to see over them. This water was difficult to find and the sandhills made it hard to walk to that water.

Lanyi gave an infant Peanut to Bob Nunyea’s mum, whom raised her as her own in the bush, after which her aunty came to pick her up and took her to Kurungal (Christmas Creek).

It was in the bush at Christmas Creek that Peanut first encountered the police when they rounded her, her father, brothers and grandparents on suspicion of being cattle rustlers.

They had been camping at the river on Christmas Creek station at the holiday camp there.

It was as a consequence of this arrest that Ted Millard, the manager of GoGo Station, came and took Peanut and her family to work there. She worked in the big vegetable garden there carrying buckets of water to tend to the produce being grown.

Peanut later in life confessed to bearing a child to a police officer, though she only told people of this after his subsequent passing. She later met Reggie Ford, whom she married. He had come to GoGo as a young fella, having walked from Balgo/Billiluna.

Peanut passed away in 1994, in her late 60s, just one year after the official incorporation of Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency. According to current records at the art centre only 31 works have ever been catalogued since the landmark exhibition “Karrayili” in 1991.

It is hard to speculate how many works were produced through the Adult Education Centre prior to this, though works of this era were generally created as part of the ‘community classes’ and were created on low grade mediums.

Of these earlier works on paper, produced before the establishment of the art centre, the National Gallery of Victoria acquired some for their permanent collection – purchased

from the landmark exhibition “Karrayili” which was held in 1991 at the Tandanya National Aboriginal Institute in South Australia. They now have, according to their records 7 works by Peanut.

It is almost certain that Peanut’s career would have been spectacular and something to rival any of the major Mangkaja artists, such as Nyuju Stumpy Brown, Wakartu Cory Surprise or indeed any major Modern Aboriginal painter, aside of the sad fact that she passed away before the art centre had really started a serious exhibition programme or she had been able to build up a significant body of work.

The uncovering of further works on paper recently will help cement her position within the hierarchy of the Modern Aboriginal Art Movement as an early and significant proponent of the minimalist and colourful style of painting, made famous some 20 years after her death by several other important Aboriginal men and women.

Collections National Gallery of Victoria

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Yata Gypsy YADDA Language Country DOB 82

: Walmajarri : Tarpu : 1/7/27

Yata Gypsy Yadda grew up in the bush. Her country was called Tarpu, it is a long way out in the desert through the site of Lumpu Lumpu and Cherrabun Station where she later worked. It is here that Yata was born, circa 1927. There are good Jilas (permanent waterhole) in this country.

Water could be collected from several places in her desert country, these included Pirra (billabongs) Jumu (soakwaters) and Jiwari (rockholes). During the hot and dry season Yata and family would dig very deep holes called Juljul and in the wet time these Juljul would fill up with good water. They camped around these Juljul for long periods of time until the water dried out, then they would move on looking for more water sources.

In Yata’s birth country of Tarpu there are four Jila’s (permanent waterholes) however, as Yata would explain women could not drink from three of the waterholes, only from one.

The other three are places where men’s ceremony took place and thus restricted to females.

Her parents also used to live there when Yata’s mothers were married to one husband.

Her mothers’ used to grind a lot of seeds and go hunting; they would travel far and wide through this country looking for grinding seeds and other Jila (permanent waterhole).

Yata also had custodial rights over the country called Jarriyi, this was Pirnti Nurlkal, clay pan country. When the rain fell the flat areas would fill with water, making a big lake, Pirnti Lake. ‘We used to get drinking water here too and sing about this country. In the Ngarrangkarni (Dreamtime) two men travelled across this country and burnt themselves with fire a long time ago.

As a young girl Yata came to Cherrabun Pastoral Station, 110km South East from what is now Fitzroy Crossing, as she would say ‘I came here when I had no Ngamarna (breasts), I was a young girl when one old man came to get me. I called out to him ‘daddy, daddy get me Kuyi (meat). He said, ‘I’m not your daddy, I’m Jupurru (husband). That old man is finished now (passed away). My next husband is finished too.’

During her time at Cherrabun Pastoral Station Yata worked making soap and milking nanny goats. ‘To make soap we put fat from meat in a drum with a fire next to the drum.

We put Kartiya (whiteman) Marntarra (gum) in the drum and mixed it with the fat, then we put in caustic soda. After it was all mixed up it was cut into blocks. The soap was put on a table in the store and sold to people.’

Yata also painted the country called Walypa, where her mother passed away. This place also had many water sources, there is a Jila, (permanent water), Jumu (soakwater),

Lamparn Pamarr (little rocks). There is also a Pirra (billabong) at this site. Yata would add that there was good tucker here too; we got Karlaka (bush honey) from the trees in this country called Miljirli. They have bright yellow flowers and sweet sap like honey. Also found in abundance was food like Kumpupaja (bush tomato) and Minyirli, a white berry the size of a marble. ‘We would poke a stick through each one (like satay) and take them home for the kids.

Yata’s work was inspired by these places and stories and her work most often reflected and represented her country, the waterholes and the food that she would have gathered in her daily life.

Collections National Gallery of Victoria

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Wakartu Cory SURPRISE Language Country DOB 84

: Walmajarri : Pirrmal, Great Sandy Desert : 1/7/29

I was born at Tapu in the Great Sandy desert around 1929. Tapu is my father’s country and Kurtal is my mother’s country. My parents died when I was a baby. I grew up at Wayampajarti and that is my country now. I don’t remember my mummy or daddy.

They passed away in the desert. When I was crawling my sister-in-law Trixie took me to Christmas Creek. I was promised to one old man who had two wives. We had no clothes when we went in. We were frightened of the Station Manager so we ran away from that place. Two times we ran away to the desert.

I walked out from the bush as a young woman with my two brothers. We were living at Wayampajarti and around that country there. At Wayampajarti there is a jila [permanent waterhole] where Kalpartu [an ancestral snake] lives. When we lived out in the bush we learnt the law. We learnt where the water is, where our country is and where to find food.You have to be careful not to go to the wrong places because you might make the Kalpurtu [spirit snake] angry or them other ones like Kukurr Murungkurr Parlangan.You could make other people angry too.You need permission to go to other people’s country.

I went to the desert with my husband to look for kumanjayi [deceased] Pijaju out there, then we all came back for ceremony. My husband did contract work building fences. I followed him on those contracts. I worked as a camp cook. I cooked food for big mobs of people. I cleaned, cooked and milked goats. We worked at Quanbun Downs, Jubilee Station,Yiyili and Cherrabun Station. Then I lived mainly at one place, GoGo Station (near Fitzroy Crossing) until I was old. I came to Fitzroy Crossing in the 1950s. I have a big mob of kids and some of them have passed away now.

I first started painting at Karrayili Adult Education Centre in the early eighties. We told our stories through painting and learned to speak to kartiya [European person]. I also did painting at Bayulu community near Fitzroy Crossing. That’s how I told my story to kartiya.

We worked on paper then, not canvas or board.

When I paint, I think about my country, and where I have been travelling across that country. I paint from here (points to head - thinking about country) and here (points to breasts, collarbone and shoulder blades - which is a reference to body painting). I think about my people, the old people and what they told me and jumangkarni [Dreamtime].

When I paint I am thinking about law from a long time ago. I like painting, it’s good. I get pamarr [word for rock, stone money] for it. I can buy my food, tyres and fix my car. I give some money to my family and I keep some for myself.

Nobody taught me how to paint, I put down my own ideas. I saw these places for myself, I went there with the old people. I paint jilji [sand hills], jumu [soak water], jila [permanent waterhole], jiwari [rock hole], pamarr [hills and rock country], I think about mangarri [vegetable food] and kuyu [game] from my country and when I was there.

Awards Western Australian Premier’s Indigenous Art Award Winner of the WA $50,000 Overall Art Award Western Australian Premier’s Indigenous Art Award Winner of the ‘WA $10,000 Artist’ Award 25th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Highly commended 14th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Winner of the ‘Telstra Work on Paper’ Award Collections National Museum of Australia National Gallery of Australia National Gallery of Victoria Art Gallery of New South Wales Queensland Art Gallery Charles Darwin University Steve Luzco Collection, San Franciso, USA Sammlung Alison and Peter W Klein Collection, Germany Laverty Collection HBL Collection, Melbourne Harriett and Richard England Collection Fitzroy Crossing High School Fitzroy Crossing Hospital

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Mangkaja Artists - The Early Years

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ABOVE Artists enjoying a site-seeing afternoon in Adelaide [Wakartu Cory Surprise front and centre].

OPPOSITE TOP Artists returning from their landmark exhibition ‘Karrayili’ held at Tandanya, Adelaide [Far right sitting - Wakartu Cory Surprise, standing second from left - Wankurtu Peanut Ford].

OPPOSITE BOTTOM Karrayili Adult Education Class Photo - circa late 1980s with Wakartu Cory Surprise [top right].

In conjunction with

With the collaboration and support of

ReDot Fine Art Gallery Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Road, Unit #02-06 S’pore 089065 Tel/Fax: (65) 6222 1039 • Email: info@redotgallery.com

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 12noon till 7pm All other times by appointment

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