SOUTH OF BALGO: Imelda Yukenbarri Gugaman & Dulcie Nanala

South of Wirrimanu (Balgo), where the red sand gives way to salt lakes, claypans and the living traces of ancestral journeys, lies the Country that has shaped the lives and paintings of Imelda Yukenbarrui and Dulcie Nanala. Though each artist paints in a distinctly personal style, their works emerge from neighbouring homelands and shared cultural traditions, mapping places held in memory, ceremony and story. Layers of colour, rhythm and gesture evoke the movement of people across Country, the abundance of bush foods after rain, and the enduring presence of Tjukurrpa (dreaming) that continues to animate the landscape.

South of Balgo brings these two remarkable artists into conversation for the first time, revealing both the richness of their individual practices and the deep connections between them. Senior Balgo women, they have each devoted decades to translating lived knowledge of Country into paintings of extraordinary vitality and beauty. Imelda Yukenbarri's recent Judges Prize at the 2025 Jury Art Prize acknowledges the strength and innovation of her work, while Dulcie Nanala's paintings continue a distinguished family legacy, carrying forward the artistic and cultural traditions of one of Balgo's most influential painting communities. Together, their paintings invite us to look beyond the horizon of Balgo, into a landscape where memory, kinship and Country remain inseparable.

Together, their works offer two complementary visions of the Country south of Balgo, distinct in style yet united by shared history, culture and custodianship. Short St Gallery invites you to view Imeda and Dulcie’s cultural landscape - a network of connected places, stories and family relationships by visiting South of Balgo at our gallery or online 24/7. A pricelist can be obtained via enquiries@shortstgallery.com.