My country, I still call Australia home: Contemporary art from Black Australia

Ruby TjangawaWilliamson Pitjantjatjara people Your paintings depict particular places in your country. Can you explain what connections you have to these places? Why is it important for you to paint these places? Through our painting we paint our country and our law. Each of us has our own place — you will hear Aboriginal people talk about the traditional owners of country. These are the people with the highest responsibility for a certain place, a part of country, and the law and stories attached to this country. It is the most important thing for the senior men and women like me to keep our culture strong, for our grandchildren. We do this in lots of ways in our daily life, because our Tjukurpa lives inside us, but I love to share and teach culture through my painting. Your paintings are very colourful — are there particular reasons you use such vibrant colours? We use the colours of our country. Some whitefellas get it a bit wrong and think that desert country is red and flat. Desert country is actually every colour — there are some places where there are hills and rocks, some places are rich green with trees and plants, and there are beautiful rock holes. Desert country is alive and full of colour. Are there any places away from your country you would like to paint? Ananguku putu painta milani Tjukurpa nguru kutjuptja-nguru. Ngangatja wiru wiru wiya. Nganana rules kanyini panya yaalytytji yaalytji nganana waaka nganampa nintil-ku. Nganana ngura nganampa paintamilani, Nganana pulkara pukularinyi, munu-la tjtji pakali-nya munu puliri-nya pulkara nintini. Nyangatja waaka paintamilalpai, paku pulka palyalpai. Paluru wiru mulapa. Nganana mukurinyunyi waaka nyanga palunya. Anangu won’t paint country that they are not connected to, that would be wrong. We have rules about how we can work. We paint our country, we celebrate our culture and we teach the grandkids. Being an artist is sometimes challenging work, but it is important work and we love it. Interviewed by Skye O’meara, Manager, Tjala Arts, Amata, South Australia Translated by Rhonda Unrupa Dick, March 2013 an interview Ruby Tjangawa Williamson Nita Williamson (Collaborating artist) Suzanne Armstrong (Collaborating artist) Pitjantjatjara people SA Ngayuku ngura (My country) Puli murpu (Mountain range) 2012 Synthetic polymer paint on linen Purchased 2012 with funds from Margaret Mittelheuser, AM , and Cathryn Mittelheuser, AM , through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation 62