Spinifex Artists are a Special Group of Desert Painters

The Spinifex artists have returned for their latest exhibition at Japingka Gallery, where they first began exhibiting in 2002.  From their homelands in the Great Victoria Desert, the Spinifex people were displaced at the time of the Maralinga nuclear tests during the 1950s and 1960s. Returning to their traditional country had been a cherished goal but also a gradual and arduous process.

But they have succeeded - returning to their country and gaining Native Title to their homelands in 2000. By painting their knowledge of the country, the Spinifex artists have shown how family connections link them to waterholes and sacred sites on ancestral country. The British Museum has collected their artworks, as has the Western Australian Museum and many major private collectors. See the exhibition between 10th October and 7th November 2014.

Roy Underwood in London

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