Iltja Ntjarra Art Centre has been working with the Tarnanthi Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, and with artist Tom Nicholson, on a major project that tells the story of the Kuprilya pipeline.

The exhibition titled Kuprilya Kwatja Etatha will feature at the Art Gallery of South Australia from 15 October 2021 to 30 January 2022.

Albert Namatjira, in the early days of his painting life, before he met Rex Battarbee, made handmade Boomerangs and painted on them and did pokerwork on them. The boomerangs that Albert painted on told an important story of life at Hermannsburg. One of the most important of these boomerangs tells the story of the building of the pipeline from Kuprilya. This offered inspiration for the Kuprilya Kwatja Etatha exhibition.

Participating artists, visual arts – Dellina Inkamala, Benita Clements, Selma Coulthard, Kathy Inkamala, Reinhold Inkamala, Vanessa Inkamala, Hubert Pareroultja, Ivy Pareroultja, Mervyn Rubuntja, Betty Wheeler and Marcus Wheeler
Video work – Gloria Moketarinja

Tarnanthi will also hold an online art fair from October 15 to October 18. Head to the Tarnanthi Website for more details.

Hubert Pareroultja and Mervyn Rubuntja win the Wandjuk Marika 3D Memorial Award (NATSIAA) with their work on silk  ‘Through the veil of time’ (2021).

Judge’s comments: ‘Hubert Pareroultja and Mervyn Rubuntja’s immersive work Through the veil of time transported the judging panel to the Central Desert, and allowed us to experience Country through the eyes of the Hermannsburg School. Traditionally small-scale watercolourists, we were excited to see the artists working collaboratively and scaling up the size of their work’.

Now in its 38th year, the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) are considered the most exciting and prestigious art awards for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, bringing together entries from established and emerging artists, and reflecting the incredible variety of artwork being created by artists all over the country.

Through the veil of time is now on show at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT).

This May Iltja Ntjarra artists will feature at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide!
Our exhibition opens on Thursday May 27th and will feature artists Mervyn Rubuntja, Hubert Pareroultja, Reinhold Inkamala, Benita Clements, Vanessa Inkamala, Kathy Inkamala, Betty Wheeler, Selma Coulthard and Clara Inkamala, alongside watercolours from the South Australian Museum’s collection.

If you are in Adelaide make sure to visit this special event!

Image above: Mervyn Rubuntja, The Ghan, Central Australia