Mitakiki Women’s Collaborative
Provenance
Tjala Arts, Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunyjatjara (APY) Lands, South Australia;
Private collection, Sydney
Exhibited
Minyima Tjuta – Many Women. Yaama Ganu Gallery and Tjala Arts, May 2021
Essay
Related works:
Wynne Prize 2021 Finalist Award: Seven Sisters, 2021, acrylic on linen 197 x 197.4 cm
Kapi Tjukula Tjuta, meaning “many rock holes” is an extraordinary collaborative painting by Naomi Kantjuriny, Mona Mitakiki and Tjimpayi Presley. The rock holes in the composition convey the importance of the land features in collecting water after rain and providing sustenance during the dry seasons. These sites are essential elements in the desert and are highly revered by all Anangu Pitjantjatjara people. Through painting, these Mitakiki women celebrate the rock holes that are important ceremonial places for the Indigenous community.
Naomi Kantjuriny (b. 1944)
An excellent hunter, basket maker and wood carver, Naomi took to painting with remarkable ease. She is recognised for her knowledge of the Tjukurpa stories of the area, and while she is a new and emerging artist her technique is well developed. Kantjuriny’s mother’s Dreaming is Malu or kangaroo. Kantjuriny is also a Ngangkari (traditional healer), providing treatments and practices of the mind, body and spirit. She was also a Wynne Prize finalist in 2017, having collaborated with Mona on the work hung at the time
Mona Mitakiki Shepherd (b. 1954)
Shepherd’s career began in 1998. After a long break she returned to painting in mid-2003 and under the name Shepherd from 2005, following the passing of her husband. Shepherd was taught to paint by senior artist Kunmanara Katie Kawiny, a much-respected and revered artist. She was a Wynne Prize finalist in 2017, and her work can be seen in private and institutional collections including the National Gallery of Victoria.
Tjimpayi Presley (b. 1967)
Presley is the daughter of Tjampawa Katie Kawiny, who is also a mentor and a talented artist. Aside from also being an exceptional painter, Presley is well known for her punu woodblocks, which display intricate designs burnt into their surfaces using hot wire.
Provenance
Tjala Arts, Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunyjatjara (APY) Lands, South Australia;
Private collection, Sydney
Exhibited
Minyima Tjuta – Many Women. Yaama Ganu Gallery and Tjala Arts, May 2021
Essay
Related works:
Wynne Prize 2021 Finalist Award: Seven Sisters, 2021, acrylic on linen 197 x 197.4 cm
Kapi Tjukula Tjuta, meaning “many rock holes” is an extraordinary collaborative painting by Naomi Kantjuriny, Mona Mitakiki and Tjimpayi Presley. The rock holes in the composition convey the importance of the land features in collecting water after rain and providing sustenance during the dry seasons. These sites are essential elements in the desert and are highly revered by all Anangu Pitjantjatjara people. Through painting, these Mitakiki women celebrate the rock holes that are important ceremonial places for the Indigenous community.
Naomi Kantjuriny (b. 1944)
An excellent hunter, basket maker and wood carver, Naomi took to painting with remarkable ease. She is recognised for her knowledge of the Tjukurpa stories of the area, and while she is a new and emerging artist her technique is well developed. Kantjuriny’s mother’s Dreaming is Malu or kangaroo. Kantjuriny is also a Ngangkari (traditional healer), providing treatments and practices of the mind, body and spirit. She was also a Wynne Prize finalist in 2017, having collaborated with Mona on the work hung at the time
Mona Mitakiki Shepherd (b. 1954)
Shepherd’s career began in 1998. After a long break she returned to painting in mid-2003 and under the name Shepherd from 2005, following the passing of her husband. Shepherd was taught to paint by senior artist Kunmanara Katie Kawiny, a much-respected and revered artist. She was a Wynne Prize finalist in 2017, and her work can be seen in private and institutional collections including the National Gallery of Victoria.
Tjimpayi Presley (b. 1967)
Presley is the daughter of Tjampawa Katie Kawiny, who is also a mentor and a talented artist. Aside from also being an exceptional painter, Presley is well known for her punu woodblocks, which display intricate designs burnt into their surfaces using hot wire.