I Know My Country

As locals we know distance is involved if we want to travel inland. Think remote Australia and communities such as Pukayiyirna on the Canning Stock Route, or Kulyakartu in the Martu homelands near Percival Lakes in the northern Great Sandy Desert, and we’re looking at travelling in excess of 1500kms from Perth to get there. And that’s just within WA.

Artitja Fine Art Gallery is bringing those places and their stories to South Fremantle through striking imagery in their forthcoming exhibition I Know My Country which opens on 13th March. Add locations Puntawarri, east of Jigalong; Tjukurla in the Gibson desert almost 2000kms away; head north east into the Tanami desert, then south to the tiny community of Kalka in the Pitjantjatjara lands near the WA/NT/SA border. All very remote and not so accessible.

Over twenty artists from eight remote Aboriginal art centre communities feature in this energetic, bold selection of paintings which incorporate profound knowledge of country by the artists.

"In our sixteenth year of presenting exhibitions, I am overwhelmed by the generosity of the Aboriginal artists who share so much of their knowledge of country and expertise with wider Australia and not only allow but welcome us to display their stories on our walls," says Gallery Director Anna Kanaris.

Accompanying stories range from seeing ‘whitefellas’ for the first time and include happy memories of being taught how and where to find different types of foods as well as where the good places to hunt were. More contemporary themes are captured by younger artists such as Judith Anya Samson’s Rabbit Proof Fence with Camp Spots. Judith likes painting the fence because in her words "Everybody likes that story in Jigalong. I like painting that story."

"The artists' generosity means that we can continue to learn about Aboriginal history and culture through the paintings, and of course at the same time, revel in the beauty of the art," says Anna Kanaris.

To take a bright, colourful journey through the Great Sandy, Tanami and Gibson deserts and beyond, head to the exhibition which opens at Earlywork in South Fremantle.