Jakayu primarily paints her country around the Canning Stock Route. In the pujiman (nomadic bush) era, she travelled with her family through the land collecting wilyki (seeds). The circular forms...
Jakayu primarily paints her country around the Canning Stock Route. In the pujiman (nomadic bush) era, she travelled with her family through the land collecting wilyki (seeds). The circular forms depicted here represent special areas where grasses and wiylki can be found, or they symbolise different waterholes or camps.
Rock holes, waterholes, soaks and springs were all extremely important sites for Martu people during the pujiman era, with many important jukurrpa (dreamtime stories) chronicling the creation of these landmarks. In the past the Martu lived nomadically, moving from water source to water source, and hunting and gathering bush tucker as they went. They would traverse very large distances annually, visiting specific areas in the dry and wet season depending on the availability of water.
Martumili Artists was established in late 2006 and supports Martu artists in Kunawarritji, Punmu, Parnngurr, Jigalong, Warralong, Irrungadji (Nullagine) and Parnpajinya (Newman). Many Martu artists have close relationships with established artists amongst Yulparija, Kukatja and other Western Desert peoples and are now gaining recognition in their own right for their diverse, energetic and unmediated painting styles. Their works reflect the dramatic geography and scale of their homelands in the Great Sandy Desert and Rudall River regions of Western Australia. Martumili Artists represents speakers of Manyjilyjarra, Warnman, Kartujarra, Putijarra and Martu Wangka languages, many of whom experienced first contact with Europeans in the 1960s. The artists include painters, working in acrylics and oils, as well as weavers coiling baskets and sculptors working in wood, grass and wool. Martu artists proudly maintain their creative practices whilst pursuing social and cultural obligations across the Martu homelands.