Artist | Marjorie Williams |
---|---|
Title | Mining Go Past Illarrari |
Year | 2022 |
Medium | Acrylic on linen |
Dimensions | 65.5 × 122 cm |
Art Centre | Tangentyere Artists → |
Out of stock
Marjorie Williams
Marjorie Williams Nungarrayi, known by close relations as ‘Nunga’, was born in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in 1953. She is a senior Western Aranda Woman, who remains heavily involved and respected in the community. Nunga first practiced in dot painting, murals and batik in Ntaria, and also painted with Iltja Ntjarra Many Hands Art Centre in the early 2000’s. Since joining Tangentyere Artists in 2017, Nunga has developed a sought-after style of figurative landscape painting, depicting memories of her early years on Country.
Nunga cleverly uses vibrant colours and exaggerated proportions to make apparent the hive of activity present in these places. Soaring eagles, goannas, echidnas and horses are brought to the forefront of her expansive landscapes. “It’s their Country, all the animal’s Country and they live there.”
Alongside the many animals, Nunga also depicts Anangu sleeping in humpies, kungkas (women) digging for witchetty grub and kids swimming in waterholes. Most known for her figurative landscapes, Nunga also paints non-figurative works, and alongside her artistic practice balances teaching and singing with Central Australian Women’s choir.
Artist statement
Two big birds, they fighting on the air. They belong to that place. Always there. And the little birds are on the trucks and the trucks are going past Illarrari (on Tempe Downs) headed south-west for the mining somewhere. Food truck, water truck, pipe truck, and another truck, he’s with a caterpillar on the truck, what they call that? Tractor? Or is that different thing? And the family’s having a big day and the kids are all looking at the helicopter travelling with all the trucks, and the men beside the driver taking photos of the family from the top. This happened recently when we went out to visit our Country together.