Details of Nyankulya Watson Walyampari
About
Nyankulya was born at Mt. Aloysius at a rockhole not far from the tri state border, sometime around 1938. As a teenager, she lived at Anumarapiti, now an outstation of Irrunytju. She remembers shortly after this time white fellas came and told her family to go to Ernabella. It was good at the mission, there was lots of flour, tea and sugar. In the morning we would listen for the bell, then we would line up for food, go to church and then to work. She later travelled back to Irrunytju with her family. Nyankulya was a founding member of Irrunytju Arts. She now resides in Nyapari, South Australia.
Nyankula says about her paintings 'I travelled around this country in the early days with my family. There's a lot of rockholes and we used to walk to all of them. We would stop and camp for a while collecting food and then move on to another place. The rockhole at Mt Aloysius had good water. I was born here. The other rockholes in my paintings are: Inurantja, Tjilpultjanga, Kunpunga (watiku ngura men's place) , Mapantji (partilku ngura ringneck parrot place) , Ultjutjara, Iltjunga, Yaliri, Palkarli, Numpa numpa, Pukara (wati kutjara tjukurpa - two snake mens creation story), Anamarapiti, Palkini, Punu Wara, Apulunga, Attanga and Wanungtjiri."
Located about 100kms south of Uluru, Nyapari is set at the base of the majestic Mann Ranges in the heart of country traditionally owned by the Pitjantjatjara people. These ranges known to Anangu as Murputja, Likening the mountains to the bony ridge of a person's spine, are the source of many waterholes and traditional camping places. The homelands of Kanpi, Nyapari, Angatja, Umpukulu and Tjankanu have grown from these seasonal camping places into permanent settlements. Over fifty artist from Murputja joined together with family members living in taditional country 180kms to the south at Watarru and created Tjungu Palya (Good Together).
Tjungu Palya is 100% owned and managed by Aboriginal people ensuring the wealth of talent and economic returns are retained in the community. Tjungu Palya promotes cultural integrity and the ethical sales of authentic art.
Nyankula also works for Ninuku Arts a community owned and operated art centre at Kalka community.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011 'Tjungu Palya 2011', Short St Gallery, Broome, WA
2011 'Tjungu Palya - Masterpieces', Chapman Gallery, Canberra, ACT
2011 'Western APY Lands', ArtKelch, Freiburg, Germany
2011 'Wati Ngintaka Tjukurpa', Short St Gallery, Broome, WA
2010 'Raft Launch' Raft Artspace , Alice Springs, NT
2010 'Partnerships' Marshall Arts, Adelaide SA
2010 'Tjukurpa Pulkatjara:The Power of Law South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA
2010 'Senior Artists Important New Works' Randell Lane Fine Art, Perth ,WA
2010 'New Work by Ninuku Artists' Ninuku Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2009 'Anangu Backyard Adelaide festival Centre, Adelaide, SA
2009 'Wanampiku Munu Kalayaku Ngura' Chapman Gallery Canberra, ACT
2009 'Kulini Ngura - Knowing Country' Short St Gallery , Broome, WA
2009 'Tjukurpa Wirunya Kanyini' Aboriginal and Pacific Arts, Sydney, NSW
2009 'Desert Mob' Araluen Gallery, Alice Springs, NT
2009 'Kulila Nganampa Tjukurpa.Listen to our Stories'. Ninuku Chapman Gallery Canberra, ACT
2009 26th Telstra NATSIAA, Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
2009 Making Tracks- A glimpse at two decades of Aboriginal art in South Australia' Tandanya, Adelaide. SA
2009 'Ngura Tjuta:Big Country' Ninuku Artists Short St gallery, Broome, WA
2009 Ninuku Artists 'Ngintaka Tjukurpa: Perentie Lizard Dreaming', Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2009 Tjungu: All Together, Aboriginal and Pacific Art, Sydney, NSW
2008 Our Mob, Ninuku Arts, The Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide, SA
2008 Ninuku Arts Inaugral Sydney Show, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
2008 Manta Nyangatja Pitjantatjara, Tjungu Palya, Short St Gallery, Broome, WA
2008 The Women's Show, Tjungu Palya, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2008 Tjukuurpa Kutjupa Kutjupa Tjuta, Tjungu Palya, Aboriginal and Pacific Arts, Sydney, NSW
2008 Melbourne Art Fair, Tjungu Palya, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2008 Desert Mob, Ninuku Arts, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT
2008 Tjukuurpa Kunpu, Tjungu Palya, Marshall Arts, Adelaide, SA
2007 Our Mob, Ninuku Arts, The Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide, SA
2007 Desert Mob, Ninuku Arts, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT
2007 Community in Focus, Ninuku Arts, Randell Lane Fine Art, Perth, WA
2007 Celebration, Tjungu Palya, Chapman Gallery, Canberra, ACT
2007 Uwankara Ngura Palya, Tjungu Palya, Randell Lane Fine Art, Perth, WA
2007 Skin on Skin, Ninuku Arts, Tuggernaong Arts Centre, Canberra, ACT
2006 Tjukurpa Mulapa: True Story - Senior Airrunytju Artists, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2005 The Women's Show, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2005 Ngayuku Ngura - 'My Country' New Paintings by senior artists of the Irrunytju Community WA, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2004 Summer Salon, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2002 19th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award, Darwin, NT
2001 Minyma Pampa Tjukurpa (Stories from the old women), Tjungu Palya, Artplace, Perth, WA
COLLECTIONS
Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth WA
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra , ACT
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs
Artbank, Australian Govenment National Contemporary Art Rental.
The Marshall Collection, Adelaide , SA
Pat Corrigan Collection, Sydney, NSW
Victorian Tapestry Workshop commission for Australian Embassy in Rome, ITALY
Australian National University, Canberra, ACT
Bibliography
2011 IAD Press, Jukurpa Diary, Internal Image - 'Ngayuku Ngura 2009'
2010 Bevis, Stephen. 'Exhibition overshadowed by death' The West Australian, March 17th.
2010 Tjukurpa Pulkatjara - The Power of the Law exhibition catalogue, Ananguku Arts Wakefield Press, pg 40,41.
2009 26th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait islander Art Award, MAGNT. Darwin, NT.
2009 Cruthers, John. 'Tjukurpa Mantataja-Stories from the Land' Australian Aboriginal Art Issue 1, March 2009.
2008 McCullochs Contemporary Aboriginal Art - the complete guide, pg 128, 142.
2008 Desert Mob publicity posters, brochures, catalogue, images of 'Anumarapiti', Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs
2007 IAD Press, Jukurpa Diary, internal images 'Ngauuku Ngura' and 'Aloysius'
2007 Oglivy, Charlie. The Canberra Times 'Tradition and Exploration mix in joy of contemporary indigenous art' October, 2007
2006 Rothwell,Nicholas. 'The Deserts Tainted Brush', Review, The Australian, 11 September
2006 Desert Dreamers by Fiona Willan. The Perth VOice , 4th November.
2006 ' Art on a String. Aboriginal Threaded objects from the central desert & Arnhem Land' Object Australian centre for Craft
and Design & the Centre for Cross-Cultural Research.
2006 IAD Press, Jukurpa Diary, Alice Springs
2006 "Art on a String: Aboriginal Threaded Objects from the Central Desert & Arnhem Land" Object Australian Centre for Craft & Design and the Centre for Cross Cultural Research. Allen, Felicity, Outback Blooms, The Herald Sun
2005 Review. Desert Mob 2005 exhibition. Lines Shimmer into Shape by Nicholas Rothwell, The Australian, 13 September
