Yuendumu Paintings

Yuendumu

Yuendumu community lies about 280 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs along the Tanami Track, and has approximately 1000 mainly Warlpiri speaking residents. Yuendumu paintings are well known for their bright colours and complex, interwoven patterns.

The Yuendumu painting movement began in the early 1980s, when art materials were distributed following the emergence of the Desert art movement at Papunya. The early success of the women painters encouraged several senior male elders to paint their ceremonial designs, previously made only on bodies or in sand paintings. Their first works were on the doors of the Yuendumu School.

Their motivation was strong and clear-sighted. They could see their children were being taught whitefella ways and wanted to make sure the kids had something to constantly remind them of their cultural heritage, so they painted the Dreaming stories, the Jukurrpa, on the doors of the school. This was the beginning of the art movement at Yuendumu.

By 1985 the Warlukurlangu Artists Association was formed to market the works of hundreds of Aboriginal artists painting in the community. Since then the Association has grown, and the community is now recognised as one of the most active and important centres in Desert art. Yuendumu artists have taken part in more than one thousand exhibitions in galleries in Australia and overseas. Warlukurlangku represents over 160 Warlpiri and Anmatjerre artists. The artists are renowned for their diversity and use of colour, while maintaining the cultural integrity of their work.