Ngunytju Kurunpa – Mother Spirit

‘Ngunytju Kurunpa – Mother spirit, how important it is to be of your mother’s culture. Our stories, songs and dance lines are passed down through our women .

We as women can express through the way we dance and the way we hold our paint brushes, swinging back and forth our brushes show the colours of our uritjingani (dancing).  

It has been over a year since my mother passed away, yet her spirit and stories are stronger than ever in our paintings.’

–Ngupulya Pumani

New work from Mimili Maku Arts shows the strength and tenacity of these established artists: Betty Pumani’s striking tri-colour palette continues to evolve with the formation of space and contour; most recently she has been selected as a finalist in the West Australian Indigenous Art Award opening on 3 July.

By contrast to Betty’s bold colour, the ethereal work of older sister Ngupulya Pumani shimmers, partly seen and unseen, in a rose gold haze of adjacent colour. Similarly the work of Tuppy Goodwin shares the softer tones and overall light over the canvas.

Densely filled canvases by Judy Martin, Willy Martin, Kathleen Tjapalyi and Marina Brown are rich in traditional pattern, while the raw and graphic abstraction from Mumu Mike Williams and Puna Yanima are loosely fluid, and bold although elements of underpainting show through creating depth and movement.

The controlled hand of Robert Fielding is as ever undulating in these new works which are stunning examples of his skill and country.