HARRY TJUTJUNA

Harry Tjutjuna was born circa 1930 at Walytjatjara, north east of Pipalyatjara, near the tri-state border of South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia. He is a Pitjantjatjara speaking Ngankari (traditional healer) and senior law man.

As a young man he moved to Ernabella Mission where he was educated and went on to work on the settlement. His jobs included working on bore sinking, fencing, gardening, and tending to the sheep. The mission’s purpose (since its foundation in 1937) was primarily to provide the medical services and education for the local Anangu (Aboriginal people).

Later Harry moved back to the far north-west with his family, living mostly in and around Wingellina, WA, and Pipalyatjara on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands, SA.

Harry first started painting in 2005 at Ernabella Arts Centre before moving to Pipalyatjara in 2008 where he now paints at Ninuku Arts. Harry has a few favourite dreamtime stories including Wati Wanka: Spider man; Wati Nyiru, the man who chases the seven sisters; Wati Malu and the Kungka Mingakri’s, the kangaroo man and the female mice. He also paints Kungka Tjuta, young girls doing milpatjunanyi, the traditional way of telling stories in the sand.

His whimsical themes, combined with a masterful use of brush, has quickly positioned Harry as one of the most highly sought-after artists at Ninuku Arts.

‘Old generation are here now and i am old generation too. Lot’s of old generation have passed away. What are you going to do? What happens when I pass away?…… New generation got to learn Tjukurpa.’ (Harry Tjutjuna)

SANDY BRUMBY

Sandy Brumby was born in the bush at 50 Downs, an outstation near Pukatja (Ernabella). He grew up there with his mother Doll Brumby, his father and his brother and sister, Harry Brumby and Maggie Brumby. He worked as a young fella at Mount Cavanagh, a cattle station near Kulgera in the Northern Territory. He was a stockman there – mustering bullocks, fencing, tending to the cattle. He met his wife, Tjukapati Nola Brumby in Pukatja (Ernabella), then they moved to Amata, and finally settled in Pipalyatjara, where they had two children – one boy and one girl.

He’s been here for a long time, since before Kalka and Pipalyatjara communities existed. In 2010, in his seventies, Sandy Brumby picked up a paint brush for the first time. He has come to the Art Centre religiously ever since, discovering a passion for paint and need to tell his story. The marks he uses are reminiscent of symbols seen in rock paintings around Uluru and Kata Tjuta. His paintings are raw and bold, and demonstrate a strong connection to his country and culture. He has a deep love of colour and uses a broad palette when he paints, selecting the colours that sit side by side with natural intuition.