OUR ART CENTRE
“Nganampa Art Nganana walytjanguku Business palyanu. Munula Tjukurpa kunpu kanyini - Our Art. Our Business. Keeps our culture strong.”
THE ART CENTRE:
Tjala Arts is located in Amata community, in far north-west South Australia on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. An Aboriginal owned and managed corporation, Tjala Arts boasts an exciting exhibition program supporting established, mid-career and emerging artists.
Established in 1999, Tjala Arts has launched the careers of artists including Wawiriya Burton, Ray Ken, Mick Wikilyiri, Sylvia Ken, Barbara Moore and the five Ken Sisters - Yaritji Young, Freda Brady, Sandra Ken, Maringka Tunkin and Tjungkara Ken - who won the prestigious Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW in 2016. Emerging artists Rhonda Dick and Anwar Young have likewise experienced success with photography, installation and sound work. Most recently, Rhonda and Anwar won the overall prize at the 34th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (2017) for their multimedia collaborative work with fellow Tjala artist Frank Young. Anwar was also nominated for the John Fries Award the same year.
Tjala Artists embrace a variety of mediums including acrylic paint on linen, punu (wood work) and tjanpi (fibre weaving) and new media arts and is renowned for its reputation of artistic excellence and innovative projects. Now in its fifth year, the Kulata Tjuta (many spears) project, with its origins at Tjala Arts, has since spread across the APY Lands as a powerful cultural rejuvenation project focused on sharing the skills of spear making across generations. The third, and most recent iteration of this project featured a large scale installation and sound work exhibited as part of Tarnanthi Festival of Contemporary ATSI Arts in Adelaide in October 2017.
Known for their vibrant use of colour and energetic mark making, works by Tjala artists have been acquired by many high profile collectors across Australia and abroad and are held in numerous public institutions including the National Gallery of Australia, The Art Gallery of NSW, The National Gallery of Victoria and The Art Gallery of South Australia.
Tjala Arts is a professional art making studio where culture is celebrated and maintained by Anangu across three generations. It is a place that honours cultural practice and promotes and supports the highest level of ethical practice in the production and sale of Indigenous art. As an Anangu owned and governed business, Tjala Arts lies at the heart of Amata community and has created widespread financial gain for families in the community and across surrounding homelands.
