Warakurna artworks | National Museum of Australia

Warakurna: All the Stories Got into our Minds and Eyes features a collection of Western Desert paintings which use a more figurative style to recreate scenes of everyday life and to tell historical and contemporary stories. These paintings combine familiar Western Desert symbols and dots with a new, more figurative style, to recreate scenes of everyday life and to tell historical and contemporary stories.

Many of the works were donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Wayne and Vicki McGeoch. These works show travels and ceremony, bush camps and life at the Warburton mission.

Eunice Yunurupa Porter:

Ngurrangka-latju nyinarra tjamuku kaparliku ngurrangka. Tjukurrpa ngaparrku-ngaparrku nintira nyuntulu-yan kulira nintirrinytjaku.

We are living in our grandfathers’ and grandmothers’ Country. We are sharing our stories with you so that you can learn about them.

Warakurna works explained 11:45

Warakurna artists Eunice Porter and Judith Chambers, in Canberra for the official launch of the exhibition, explain the 'pukulpa' or happiness derived from sharing stories, culture and paintings with their children and the broader community. Recorded at the National Museum in December 2012

Our community

Eunice Yunurupa Porter:

Pukurlpa-latju palyara community walykumunu Warakurnala tjanpi, painting. Nyakula-ya pukurlarringkula. Tjitji, minyma, wati ngurra ngaakutu pitjal art centre ngaangka palyara. Tjitji marlatja-marlatjaluya lurrtjurringkula tjamu kaparlilu palyara. Purlkarringkulalpi painting, purnu, puru tjanpi palyanma ngayulu-latju wiyarringkula.

We are happy here in the community of Warakurna doing our paintings and tjanpi (woven fibre sculptures). When people see them they feel happy. Children, women and men come to this art centre to paint and make things. Children of the younger generation are growing up painting alongside grandfathers and grandmothers. When they get older they will continue doing painting, artefacts and tjanpi when our generation has passed on.

A multi-coloured dot painting with three motor vehicles painted in white in the centre and another two in yellow dots on the right hand side. 'Warakurna Artists/ Ngaanyatjarra Lands / Keeping Culture Strong / Our / Art Centre' is written in the central section. - click to view larger image — *Keeping Culture Strong*

A sculpture depicting a person working on a painting. The sculpture is made of woven grass, plant material dyed in different colours and strands of wool. - click to view larger image — *Yarnangu Paintingtjarra* (Aboriginal person with painting)

At left, a multi-coloured dot painting with three motor vehicles painted in white in the centre and another two in yellow dots on the right hand side. 'Warakurna Artists/ Ngaanyatjarra Lands / Keeping Culture Strong / Our / Art Centre' is written in the central section. To the right is a simple line diagram on a yellow background, pointing to various activities depicted in the painting alongside. These include: 'people with paintings', 'making tjanpi' and 'Inma (ceremony). - click to view larger image

An acrylic painting on canvas showing an aerial view of a community in a multi-coloured landscape, with the text 'WARAKURNA COMMUNITY' written vertically alongside. - click to view larger image — *Warakurna Community*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing red, yellow and blue rectangles against a dot infill background in yellow, green and orange. Text running vertically along the left hand side reads 'WARAKURNA ROADHOUSE'. - click to view larger image — *Warakurna Roadhouse*

Early days

Eunice Yunurupa Porter:

Ngarnmanypalpi-latju nyinapayi purtingka. Tjamulu kaparlilu tjukurrpa nintipungkupayi palyaratjaku, turlku kanturatjaku, minyma nyanpirratjaku. Mission tayim-latju nyinarranytja. MacDougall and Macaulaylu mirrka katipayi purtingka nyinarranyangka. Katipayi-tjananya missionkutu. Palunyalulatju palyara kulipayi.

In the early days, we always lived in the bush. Grandfathers and grandmothers were teaching the Dreaming stories, teaching us to do the men’s dances and the women’s dances. In the mission time we were living there (at Warburton). MacDougall and Macaulay (patrol officers) would bring food for people living in the bush and would take them into the mission. We are thinking about those things and doing these paintings.

An acrylic painting on canvas showing groups of people and individuals, connected by white dotted lines. The background is made of dot infill in predominantly red and orange tones. - click to view larger image — *Kungkarrangkalpa* (Seven Sisters Dreaming)

A painting on canvas depicting a central waterhole beyond which there are five figures holding spears with one lying on the ground with a wound in his chest. Below to the right there are two more figures aiming guns at this group and behind them a figure lying on the ground with a spear protruding from his body. - click to view larger image — *Circus Waters Massacre*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing a person leading two camels through a hilly landscape. - click to view larger image — *Lasseter Story*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing one person being speared by another while drinking at a waterhole. There are two other people and a horse standing nearby. - click to view larger image — *The Wati Who Was Looking for Lasseter*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing a group of children and an adult standing outside a building. There are large trees and blue sky above the building. - click to view larger image — *Mission Time*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing brick buildings and groups of people, some working with or trading goods, and some standing in lines. - click to view larger image — *Waiting for Shop*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing people and animals, against a predominantly purple dot infill background. Some of the people carry baskets on their heads - click to view larger image — *Holiday Time*

A painting depicting a landscape with trees and purple hills in the background against a sky painted in two shades of blue . In the foreground there is a group of figures and small animals moving across the landscape including two figures on each of three camels. Many of the figures are carrying belongings on their heads. - click to view larger image — *Travelling Around on Camels*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing a landscape made of dot infill with people, many of whom carry tools, and two yellow vehicles. - click to view larger image — *Macaulay and MacDougall*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing buildings in the middle with groups of people in shelters and vehicles in each of the corners. The background is made up of dot infill in orange and yellow. - click to view larger image — *Mr MacDougall and Tommy Dodd*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing an aerial view of rectangular buildings and intersecting paths in a multi-coloured landscape. - click to view larger image — *Giles Weather Station*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing two yellow trucks carrying big loads, against a mulitcoloured dot infill background. - click to view larger image — *Partirninytjarra* (Blackstone Mining Centre)

An acrylic painting on canvas in predominantly yellow tones, showing three tractors with people standing around them. - click to view larger image — *Making the Cut Line with Len Beadell*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing people and vehicles, with five waterholes running through the centre. - click to view larger image — *Mr Grayden,* 2011, Judith Yinyika Chambers, acrylic on canvas, 1015 x 1020 x 32 mm. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Wayne and Vicki McGeoch.

An acrylic painting on canvas showing many people, some carrying objects and some seated in shelters, and several dogs against a multi-coloured dot infill background. - click to view larger image — *Warburton Mission: Leaving Time*

A black and pink model camel and rider made from, raffia, minarri (greybeard) grass, wool and leather. The rider has a yellow and black body, is wearing a purple beanie, and is seated on a brown crocheted saddle which is fastened to the camel with leather straps and leads. - click to view larger image — *Kamula Maru munu Anangu Kutju* (Black camel with rider)

A camel packsaddle with a wooden frame secured with ropes. The wooden frame surrounds padded hessian and cloth bags. - click to view larger image — Camel pack-saddle

An open bible. - click to view larger image — *Mama Kuurrku Wangka* (Father God's word)

A white, grey and brown model camel with two riders made from, raffia, minarri (greybeard) grass, wool and leather. The two riders are seated on a red crocheted saddle, which is fastened to the camel with leather straps and leads. - click to view larger image — *Kamula munu Anangu Kutjarra* (Camel with two riders)

Back to the land

Eunice Yunurupa Porter:

Nyinarrayirnu-latju wantingu-latju kulirnu yankukitjalu ngurrarakutu. Palunyalu-latju miitingi wangkangu governmenta. Watjarnu, ‘Yuwa yanku-yankun ngurrakutu.’ Mularrpartu ngurrakutu-ngurrakutu-latju yanu.

After living (at Warburton mission) we were thinking about leaving and going back to our home country. We had a meeting with the government. They told us we could go to our own Country. So sure enough we went to our own homelands.

An acrylic painting on canvas showing groups of people and four vehicles, against a multi-coloured dot infill background. - click to view larger image — *Going Home*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing two people, three donkeys and a vehicle. One of the people is aiming a firearm at the donkeys. - click to view larger image — *My Father's Donkeys*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing seven people standing and facing a larger group of people, against a yellow and orange dot infill background. - click to view larger image — *Land Rights*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing two people flying in a helicopter, against a red background. - click to view larger image — *Helicopter Ride with Brooksy to See My Father's Ngurra (Country)*

A sculpture depicting a helicopter. The sculpture is made of woven grass and plant material dyed in different colours. - click to view larger image — *Flat Chopper*

A sculpture depicting a truck with two people in the cabin and one person travelling on the back . The sculpture is made of grass with woven plant material dyed in different colours and strands of wool. - click to view larger image — *Yiwarra Kultu Warakurnalakutu* (The main road to Warakurna)

They came to our land

Eunice Yunurupa Porter

Pitjangu-lampatju ngayuku manta Ngaanyatjarrakutu. Pitjala-ya yankupayi.

These are stories about people who came to our land. They came and went back again.

An acrylic painting on canvas showing an aerial view of a blast coming from a square cut hole. There is a person at the bottom of the hole and two others above. - click to view larger image — *Miners*

A painting with a rust brown background depicitng two white trucks with circular tyre marks below them . In the foreground groups of children gathered near shelters look towards the trucks with their arms raised. - click to view larger image — *Whitefellas Spinning Around*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing a person leading two camels, against a predominantly yellow background. A small animal is running alongside the person. - click to view larger image — *Camel Lady*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing a propeller airplane with a truck or 'Jeep' next to it. - click to view larger image — *The Army Plane that Came to Warburton*

An acrylic painting on canvas showing five musicians with instruments, against a bright blue background. - click to view larger image — *Midnight Oil Concert in Warakurna*

A sculpture depicting an aeroplane with its wheels down. The sculpture is made of woven grass, plant material dyed in different colours, wool and metallic thread. - click to view larger image — *Yilkaringkatjanyayi Pitja?* (Has the plane come?)

Living in our land

Eunice Yunurupa Porter:

Ngaanya kuwarrinya-latju palyara. Lurrtjurringkula community Tjukurla, Blackstone, Jameson, wangkarra miitingi, purnu tjanpi palayara, ngarlpurringkula tjapu-tjapu.

These paintings are about what we do these days. We join with the communities of Tjukurla, Blackstone and Jameson, have meetings, make tjanpi (woven fibre) and purnu (carved wood) sculptures, and play football and softball.