Papulankutja Artists Aboriginal Art Centre
Papulankutja Artists is an Aboriginal owned not-for-profit corporation operating in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands of Western Australia. The community of Papulankutja, also known as Blackstone, sits approximately 900 kilometres west of Alice Springs and 1,575 kilometres north-east of Perth. The centre also services Mantamaru (Jameson) community, 75 kilometres to the west.
Painting began in the community in the 1980s, when local men and women came together to paint. As the Aboriginal art market grew, a framework was needed to ensure artists worked in fair conditions. Papulankutja Artists was officially established in 2003 and moved into a purpose-built space in 2009.
The centre provides Ngaanyatjarra artists with a space for creative expression and the telling of Tjukurrpa (Dreamtime) stories, while supporting the wellbeing of artists and their families through a source of independent income. Works produced at the centre include painting, tjanpi weaving, purnu carving, and jewellery made from local nuts and seeds.
In 2005, women from Papulankutja created the Tjanpi Toyota, a life-sized car woven from native grasses, which won the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award that year. It remains one of the most celebrated works to come from the Ngaanyatjarra Lands.
Papulankutja Artists participates annually in key industry events including the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, the Revealed Emerging Aboriginal Artists Exhibition, Desert Mob, and Tarnanthi. The centre is a member of Western Desert Mob, Desart, and the Indigenous Art Code.
Papulankutja Artists at a glance
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Founded
Established 2003; purpose-built studio opened 2009. Located in Papulankutja (Blackstone), Ngaanyatjarra Lands, WA. -
Location
Approximately 900km west of Alice Springs and 1,575km north-east of Perth. Also services Mantamaru (Jameson) community, 75km to the west. -
Language and Culture
Ngaanyatjarra people of the Western Desert. Works express Tjukurrpa (Dreamtime) stories and connections to Country. -
Art Style
Painting, tjanpi weaving, purnu (wood) carving, and jewellery made from local nuts and seeds. -
Notable Work
Tjanpi Toyota (2005), a life-sized woven grass vehicle, winner of the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award.
