In Western Australia’s Great Victoria Desert on the northern outskirts of the vast Nullarbor Plain lies Tjuntjuntjara, a small and extremely isolated community that is home to the Spinifex People. The Spinifex Arts Project was established in 1997 to record and document ownership of the Spinifex area. As proof of ownership, the senior men and women produced two large collaborative works known as the Native Title paintings. They were fundamental to the Spinifex People’s successful Native Title claim in 2000 of over 55,000 square km of country.
Over the past 26 years, Spinifex artists have become widely known in the art world, securing their place among the most significant and important artists of the Western Desert region.
Spinifex Arts Project-tu mulapa nganampa tjantungku. Nganampa walka nganampa ngura kutupa tjuṯa maḻaku mantjintjaku alpamilaṉu. Panya paluṟu warka wiṟu nganampa munu Tjukurpa kuṉpu kanyini munu Aṉangu tjuṯa pika wiya nyinanyi munula tjimari mantjilpai. Nganaṉa art centre-ku kuṉpu puḻkaringantjaku kala tjitji tjuṯangku nintiringkula ngananalanguṟu kala nganampa Tjukurpa rawa kanyilpai.
The Spinifex Arts Project truly belongs to us. Painting helped us get our land back. It’s good work for keeping our culture strong, our people healthy and earning some money. All of us must grow the art centre up to be strong so the young people can learn from us and keep our Tjukurpa (Stories) going.
