Maruku Arts: Anangu Art and Punu from Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory
In May 2017, the artwork surrounding the signatures on the Uluru Statement from the Heart was created by Maruku Arts, led by Rene Kulitja and painted by artists Christine Brumby, Charmaine Kulitja, and Happy Reid. That commission says something about what Maruku is: the largest Anangu-owned and operated arts organisation in the country, representing over 900 artists from 18 communities spread across Central and Western Desert country, an area roughly the size of Victoria.
The organisation formally incorporated in 1984 as the Anangu Uwankaraku Punu Aboriginal Corporation, a name that translates literally as "wood belonging to Anangu." Its origins go back to 1981, when carvers Walter Pukutiwara and Topsy Tjulyata set up one of the first tent exhibitions at the base of Uluru, with artists from Amata packing work into a convoy of cars and trucks to sell on country. Traditional shades were later built near the current ranger station at a site called Punu Ngura (home or place of wood), where artists could sell and demonstrate the making of punu to visitors. Maruku still runs regular bush trips to collect punu today, and the bush truck visits communities across the region, paying artists on the spot and supplying tools.
The main art forms are paintings and punu: wood carvings and walka boards, where burnt designs encode Tjukurpa, the ancestral law and stories of the Anangu. The Maruku logo is a tali (sand dune) design, the same pattern that runs through much of the work produced by its artists, describing the desert country they call home. The gallery and retail space sit within the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Cultural Centre, with a warehouse in Mutitjulu community and a market stall in Yulara town square. Artists also demonstrate at the gallery, and cultural tours and workshops are available.
Maruku Arts at a glance
- Location: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Cultural Centre, Mutitjulu, Northern Territory. Gallery and market stall also at Yulara town square.
- Established: 1984 (Anangu Uwankaraku Punu Aboriginal Corporation). Origins trace to 1981 tent exhibitions at the base of Uluru.
- Country: Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, Ngaanyatjarra and associated Anangu peoples. 18+ communities across Central and Western Desert.
- Art Forms: Punu (wood carvings), walka boards (burnt Tjukurpa designs), acrylic paintings, tools and weapons.
- Notable Artists: Rene Kulitja, Walter Pukutiwara, Topsy Tjulyata, Niningka Lewis, Billy and Lulu Cooley.
- Workshops and Tours: Cultural tours, artist demonstrations, and workshops available at the gallery.
