In the exhibition Anaty Anaty Apmer (Heartland) 10 Alyawarr artists from Artists of Ampilatwatja, located in the eastern region of Central Australia, have created paintings depicting bush medicine plants and the countries that support them. Since they established their community art centre in 1999, Artists of Ampilatwatja has carved out a unique place in contemporary Australian First Nations art.

Rather than depicting the iconography of dreaming stories Ampilatwatja painters reinforce their strong connection to Country in landscape form and with a strong focus on the plants used for bush medicine. As the artists note, their paintings depict the country ‘on which the dreaming stories sit’.

However, these intricate paintings are far from superficial view of lands. Rather they contain the information held sacred to Alyawarr, but hidden from public view, underneath the surface.

Of special importance is the recording of flowers, leaves and seeds used by Alywarr for bush medicine. Representing this subject fulfills several purposes. Trips to collect plants for bush medicine enable knowledge of the habitat and usage of plants; documenting the plants in art enables their recording for posterity and bush medicine itself promotes well-being.

Exhibiting artists; Ada Pula Beasley, Beverley Pula Luck, Daisy Kemarre Turner, Elizabeth Ngwarreye Bonney, Kathleen Namina Rambler, Kelvin Kemarre Ladd, Maisie Petyarre Bundey, Michelle Pula Holmes, Nancy Pitjara Frank, Sevaria Kemarre Bonney.

OPENING EVENT SATURDAY 7 JUNE from 2.30pm.

Curators Floor Talk: Bush medicine & plants - the unique art of Artists of Ampilatwatja.

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