In this painting Janie Kulyuru has painted her mother’s father’s country and the tjukurpa that animates it. Janie recounts the stories of her Tjamu’s (Grandfather’s) home at Watarru, capturing the journey of Minyima Tjuta (Many Women) as they travel across the landscape looking for bush tucker and digging for water. The long winding lines that move across the canvas represent inma, capturing the songlines of the ladies as they sing and dance across the landscape.
Janie Kulyuru is an artist member of Tjala Arts. Her father’s country is Aparatjara, Western Australia, and her mother’s country is Watarru, South Australia. After attending school in Adelaide, Janie moved to Amata to live with her family here. Before coming to work at Tjala Arts, then known as Minymaku Arts, Janie specialised in batik, working under the umbrella of Tjurma Homelands Arts and Craft Centre, before beginning to paint on canvas. Janie sometimes paints her mother’s Tjukurpa Waru or fire story. She paints alongside her sister Munu Kulyuru.
Desert Mob is presented annually in Mparntwe | Alice Springs on Arrernte Country.
On behalf of Desart’s staff and art centre members, the Executive Committee humbly and respectfully acknowledge the Arrernte Apmereke Artweye (Traditional Owners) and Kwertengerle (Traditional Managers) of Mparntwe.
Desart respectfully advises Aboriginal readers that this website may contain names, images and artworks of people who have passed away.
