Ena Fly, My father’s country – Lupul Tjukurrpa, 91x40cm

• Aboriginal Artist - Ena Fly
• Community - Ikuntji (Haasts Bluff) 
• Aboriginal Art Centre - Ikuntji Artists
• Catalogue number - 18/EF124
• Materials - Acrylic on canvas  
• Size(cm) - H40 W91 D2  
• Postage variants - Artwork posted un-stretched and rolled for safe shipping
• Orientation - As displayed

This painting depicts ‘Lupul’, the country and Tjukurrpa (Dreaming) of Ena’s father, Long Tom Tjapanangka. ‘Lupul’ (Sir Fredrick Range) is located close to Tjukurrla, just West of the Northern Territory/Western Australia border. Ena paints the story of a little bird who travelled north from its country in Tjukurla. She depicts the sand hills, plants and animals along that journey. After travelling north, seeing the country and hearing many different languages along the way, the little bird then returned to Tjukurrla where it remains today.

Ena Fly was born at the Haasts Bluff creek bed in 1957. Her mother, Marlee Napurrula was born at Kungayunti (Brown’s Bore outstation). When Ena was a baby her mother carried her into Haasts Bluff where she then grew up and spent her life. Ena’s father, Long Tom Tjapanangka, a Pintup/Ngaatjatjarra man, was born somewhere near his father’s country of Lupul (Frederick Range). Both Marlee and Long Tom began painting at Ikuntji Women’s Centre in 1993. Long Tom and his second wife, Mitjili Napurrula, also painted at Ikuntji Artists – all becoming highly acclaimed artists. Ena has one sister, who now works in Alice Springs, and a brother who has passed away. Ena grew up at Haasts Bluff, watching her parents paint. She attended primary school at Haast Bluff. Ena met her husband Phillip Lane in the late 1990s. The two have since lived between Haasts Bluff and Papunya. Ena paints Lupul (Frederick Range) country, the Tjukurrpa (Dreaming) and country from her grandfather on her father’s side, the same Tjukurrpa that Long Tom often painted and his place of birth.

A lot of stories are still being recounted of long journeys of people from various language groups, who travelled from rockholes and waterholes to caves and mountains finally arriving at Haasts Bluff. The locals, Luritja people of Haasts Bluff, were already here. Thus Haasts Bluff is a community rich of diversity in language and culture.

Ikuntji Artists was first established in 1992, after a series of workshops with Melbourne artist Marina Strocchi, and under the influence of the then community president, the late Esther Jugadai. The art centre was initially set up to fulfil the role of women’s centre providing services such as catering for old people and children in the community. After first experiences made in printing T-shirts, the artists began producing acrylic paintings on linen and handmade paper, which quickly gained the attention of the Australian and international art world as well as earning the centre an impressive reputation for fine art. The focus changed from a women’s centre to an art centre in 2005 with the incorporation of the art centre as Ikuntji Artists Aboriginal Corporation.

The artists draw their inspiration from their personal ngurra (country) and Tjukurrpa (Dreaming). They interpret the ancestral stories by using traditional symbols, icons and motifs. The artistic repertoire of Ikuntji Artists is diverse and includes for example: naive as well as highly abstract paintings told by each artist in their personal signature style. Throughout the 21 years of its existence the art movement in Ikuntji has flourished and constantly left its mark in the fine art world. At the same time the art centre has been the cultural hub of the community, maintaining, reinforcing and reinvigorating cultural practices through art-making.

Today Ikuntji Artists has eight key artists, who exhibit in Australia and internationally. They are represented in major collections across the globe.

Text: Melanie Greiner, Alison Multa and Dr Chrischona Schmidt