Beryl Jimmy and Tinpulya Mervyn, Waru at Watarru, 70x60cm

• Aboriginal Artists - Beryl Jimmy and Tinpulya Mervyn
• Community - Haasts Bluff
• Aboriginal Art Centre - Ikuntji Artists
• Catalogue number - 20-122
• Materials - Acrylic on linen 
• Size(cm) - H70 W60 D2  
• Postage variants - Artwork posted un-stretched and rolled for safe shipping
• Orientation - Painted from all sides and OK to hang as wished

In this painting, the artists depict the Waru Tjukurrpa (Fire Dreaming) at Watarru. Watarru is located in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands) in the north-west of South Australia close to Kanpi, Piplitjara, Maralinga and Ochre Valley. This Tjukurrpa is from Anne’s own country at Watarru and this Tjukurrpa was passed down to her from her grandmother on her mother’s side. The Tjukurrpa tells of two Tjangala travelling from Yuendumu, Northern Territory, down South to Watarru, carrying the fire with them. Once they arrived at Watarru, they threw the fire stick on the ground and created a big hole and mountain. The two Tjangalas created everything at Watarru, afterwards, they went back to Yuendumu. This is part of a big Tjukurrpa from Yuendumu, called Warlukurlangu. The two Tjangalas left many Ngangkari (traditional healer) spirits in this place, which all the children hold. The artist often depicts these children sitting down on country with their mothers, surrounded by puli puli (rocks) and kapi (rock holes). Anne recalls visiting her country in 1993 with her mother in law, Alice Nampitjinpa Dixon and family. There they could see the footprints of the children on the rock faces.

Beryl Jimmy is a Pitjantjatjara woman living at the community settlement of Watarru, in the far northwest of South Australia, part of an area referred to as the Western desert. She was born in 1970. Beryl’s work is inspired by a deep connection to country, and her spiritual links to the desert are expressed with integrity, beauty and creativity. Traditional knowledge of food collection and water sources were vital for survival in this dynamic desert landscape and is a prominent theme in her work.
This cultural knowledge is handed down orally in the retelling of the Tjukurpa (traditional stories of the ancestor’s journeys), which not only sustains Anangu (Aboriginal people) physically, but socially and spiritually. 
Tjukurpa painting depicts a fragment of a larger story, a living history where an ancestor was involved in creating country. Individuals have authority and ownership of this land and the associated sites and stories. The maintenance of this country is paramount to artists of Watarru and they continue to care and manage the land with respect and responsibility.

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