Yamangara Thomas Murray, Ngayuku Ngurra, 91x91cm

• 9Aboriginal Artist - Yamangara Thomas Murray
• Community - Wingellina
• Aboriginal Art Centre - Ninuku Arts
• Catalogue number - 21-116
• Materials - Acrylic on canvas  
• Size(cm) - H91 W91 D2  
• Postage variants - Artwork posted un-stretched and rolled for safe shipping
• Orientation - Painted from all sides and OK to hang as wished

Mr Murray was out bush at a claypan in the Warburton ranges circa 1934. He is the oldest painter at Ninuku studios in Kalka Community, South Australia. His family walked around Western Australia for many years during his childhood living in traditional camps. He speaks both Ngaanyatjarra and Pitjantjatjara language as well as English. As a young adult he worked on various stations mustering sheep and cattle to make money, and later was employed as a guide helping Western mining prospectors find mineral deposits on the lands. Mr Murray's paintings reflect the stories and maps drawn in the sand of the features of his country told during his youth of "the time before people wore clothes".

Details as per 'artwork' Information

Ninuku Arts is a wholly-Indigenous owned and governed Art Centre which supports artists from two communities - Pipalyatjara and Kalka. Each has populations of around 100-150 Anangu and the majority are Pitjantjatjara speakers – Anangu simply means ‘people’ in Pitjantjatjara. Both communities are located in the far north-western corner of South Australia, near the tri-state border of South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory. The two communities, fourteen kilometres apart, are surrounded by the rolling, rocky hills of the Tomkinson Ranges and are part of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. Both Kalka and Pipalyatjara are peaceful places. This is a result of strong governance, cultural engagement and pride among local Anangu. 

The Art Centre itself is located in Kalka and is housed in a mud-brick building (the only one in the Lands), which was built as an office in the early 1980’s by Anangu and white staff, and has since been extended to accommodate the growing number of artists keen to paint. A silver bullet caravan (formerly a mobile health unit) is also located on site, and has become a place for some artists to paint, mostly during the winter months while the morning sun warms the deck. Despite being the most remote art centre on the APY Lands, having limited working space and access to services, Ninuku Arts has continued to grow in success with each year. The artist’s commitment to both the art centre and painting is unflappable. The art centre prides itself on its inclusivity (providing opportunities for all generations) and embracing individuality in artists.