10 February - 12 May 2012
Purnu, Tjanpi, Canvas. Art of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands is an exhibition of the dynamic creativity of the Western Desert’s Ngaanyatjarra artists.
The exhibition showcases recent Yarnangu acrylic painting in context with the enduring tradition of purnu (wood carving) and tjanpi (grass weaving), providing a new lens through which to better understand the inventiveness and artistry of these desert people.
It reveals the humour and playful innovation of the Tjanpi Desert Weavers, the explosive eclecticism of artists in translations of weaving and carving into paint, and the glorious canvases that reflect the completeness of the desert and community life.
Tommy and his Walu mural, 2008.
Photo by Pamela Faye McGrath.
Copyright Pamela Faye McGrath.
Jackie Giles, working on a new painting, 2009. Photo by Tim Acker. Copyright Kayili Artists.