Eric Barney Mungi Kumanara Australian, Pitjantjatjara, b. 1973

“I like fixing cars, I taught myself – how to drive them and fix them. I’m a bush mechanic! Even if the Art Centre Toyota gets broken, I can fix him up, I know how to make all of them work again. I’ve been to Brisbane to see the art gallery two times now, flying there from Alice Springs.  In my paintings I like to put in the camels and sometimes kalaya (emu’s) too, and sometimes I make them all flying, then they all get to see country from the sky.”

Eric Barney grew up in Indulkana Community, where he continues to live and work. Working with Iwantja Arts since 2008, Eric Barney is a dedicated painter as well as an arts worker, preparing canvas and providing studio support for his fellow artists. Eric Barney has been guided and mentored on painting technique and cultural protocol by the senior men such as Peter Mungkuri, Alec Baker and Kunmanara (Jimmy) Pompey; he has worked alongside these men on a number of collaborative artwork projects.