Artists of Ampilatwatja

Artists of Ampilatwatja

The Artists of Ampilatwatja community was established in 1999, 325km north east of Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in the Northern Territory. Ampilatwatja lies on Aherrenge country, the land of the Alyawarre people. The work produced by the artists is unique and recognisably distinct from other Aboriginal artistic communities. The paintings pay homage to the significance and use of traditional bush medicine, allowing an insight into their community. They depict the traditional knowledge of dreaming and country through the translation of waterholes and soaks, bush medicines, mountains and sand hills.The artists predominantly paint Arreth (strong bush medicine), demonstrating their deep connection to country. A veritable source of life, the land has provided and sustained Alyawarr people for generations, as every plant and animal has a vital role to play within the ecological system.
Underneath the surface of the paintings there is an underlying sense that there is more to these landscapes than meets the eye. In keeping with the religious laws, the artists reveal only a small amount of knowledge to the uninitiated. The esoteric information that is held sacred to the artists and people is concealed from the public and layered underneath the common visual narrative, masked by the delicate layered dots of the painting.
The art centre is a place where women across all generations can gather and pass on knowledge, share stories and practice and develop our art, while men carve and make wooden artefacts. The art centre helps keep the Alyawarre culture strong.