Two rare collaborative artworks from the edge of the Great Sandy Desert for NUspace foyer

Desert Homelands – Waterhole, 2010 and Country and Country Where We Lived, 2010 by the Wangkatjungka Collaboration

Internationally renowned senior Indigenous artists collaborated on these works including George Tuckerbox, Biddee Baadjo, Elsie Thomas, Nada Rawlins, Penny K Lyons, Rita Thomas, Nora Tjookootja and Rosie Goodjie. Known as the Wangkatjungka Collaboration they come from a remote community on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert, 130km from Fitzroy Crossing in the central Kimberly Region of Western Australia.

With canvases stretching over two metres each, these vibrant works are a statement of connection between traditional custodians and the “neighbourhood” of the chains of waterholes that underpin life for Wangkatjungka people. The majority of artists who collaborated on these works grew up on their ancestral lands and have maintained their language and culture, despite hardships faced by the community such as the great exodus of families from the Western Desert areas that occurred during the 1930s and 1940s. The artworks produced by these artists have been recognised as invaluable for the cultural record and information they contain.

For more information on how you can view or donate to the University of Newcastle Art Collection, or if you have any enquiries about the Collection, contact the University Gallery.

E: universitygallery@newcastle.edu.au
P: +61 2 4921 5255

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