Tahne Brolga Mangala, b. 1988

Tahne Brolga is an emerging artist from the Mangala group, with cultural connections to the Great Sandy Desert and the Fitzroy River region. She lives in the Looma Community in Western Australia.

Tahne comes from a strong family of artists and was inspired from a young age by her grandfather Meridoo and her cousin Daniel Walbidi. During school holidays, she regularly visited Bidyadanga, where she watched her family paint and learned through observation. Daniel Walbidi and her grandfather have been particularly influential in shaping her artistic practice.

Tahne paints her Country and her family’s Country, depicting significant sites, water sources, and the rich plant life of the desert and river systems. Her works often represent Wirnpa, a sacred jila (living water) site in the Great Sandy Desert, which is an important gathering place for families and neighbouring groups. Through vibrant colour and layered compositions, she shows native plants surrounding the jila, including the honey plant and other desert flora.

Her paintings also reference Myroodah Station Crossing, her grandmother Agnes’s birthplace along the Fitzroy River. These works depict the river, surrounding hills, bush foods such as bush bananas and bush tomatoes, native animals including kangaroos and emus, and the abundance of flowers and fruit found in the area. Traditional red and white ochres are used to represent the land, while blue signifies water, reflecting the deep cultural and spiritual connection to these places.

Tahne continues to paint stories passed down through her family, honouring Country, water, and the enduring presence of her ancestors.