Martumili Artists is pleased to present Paper Wangka (Paper Story), an exhibition showcasing never before seen works on paper from established and emerging Martu artists.

Unearthing treasures from the Martumili archives, exhibition curators Corban Clause Williams, Sylvia Wilson and Robina Clause have worked around the clock to curate this very special exhibition.

“Without the people, Country will be lost; and without the Country, people will be lost.”—Curtis Taylor

“When you haven’t done something like this before it’s just that flower within you just opens up. The suppressed artist in me got so excited, emotional and nervous to learn. We had good teamwork, it’s a key part of being Martu. We took our time didn’t rush, it was subtle. We had a good flow of energy to get it all up on the walls. There’s a lot of support here it’s a safe space. This exhibition is showcasing all the variety of artists here.”—Sylvia Wilson explaining her first install experience at Martumili for Paper Wangka (Paper Story)

For Martu, Country sustains life, and to care for Country is an essential part of living. This is done through land management practices that are thousands of years old, such as fire burning, which continues to be carried out as both an aid for hunting and a means of land management.

During the pujiman (traditional, desert-dwelling) period, Martu would traverse very large distances annually in small family groups, moving seasonally from water source to water source, and hunting and gathering bush tucker as they went. At this time, one’s survival depended on their intimate knowledge of the location of resources. Martu care for Country ongoingly, through ranger work, research work, and artwork.

Martu document traditional ecological knowledge of their Country in their artworks, archiving and passing on important information to future generations, and to the wider community.

Martumili Artists was established in late 2006 and supports Martu artists in Kunawarritji, Punmu, Parnngurr, Jigalong, Warralong, Irrungadji (Nullagine) and Parnpajinya (Newman). Many Martu artists have close relationships with established artists amongst Yulparija, Kukatja and other Western Desert peoples and are now gaining recognition in their own right for their diverse, energetic and unmediated painting styles. Their works reflect the dramatic geography and scale of their homelands in the Great Sandy Desert and Rudall River regions of Western Australia. Martumili Artists represents speakers of Manyjilyjarra, Warnman, Kartujarra, Putijarra and Martu Wangka languages, many of whom experienced first contact with Europeans in the 1960s. The artists include painters, working in acrylics and oils, as well as weavers coiling baskets and sculptors working in wood, grass and wool. Martu artists proudly maintain their creative practices whilst pursuing social and cultural obligations across the Martu homelands.