Trephina Sultan Thanguwa
Trephina Sultan ThanguwaTrephina Sultan Gallery Bush Food (2006) Bush Honey (Honey Grevillea) Bush Tobacco Country Desert Oak Bush Honey Dialysis Machine Art Symbolism Families Hunting and Gathering Bush Tucker Fire, Rain, Life Following the creeks and waterholes Goanna calling for rain Grandmothers Way Grass Seeds Healing Kamiku Ara Kapi (Rain) Kapi-Nguru Kulu Messy Art Minga Ntatha Flowers (My Desert Home in Spring) Rainbow Serpent Regeneration (Renewed Life) Seven Sisters Spiritual Journey Tjanpi Kampanyi Walpangku Wangka Katipai (Voices in the Wind) Water Symbol on Cave Wall Triptych: Fire, Rain, Life
Dialysis Machine Art Symbolism — Trephina was excited to be invited to contribute to the MALPA project (in 2010) — painting her stories on the dialysis machine which are the only means of survival for an increasing numbers people in Central Australia. Along with the painting contributions of a number of other famous Aboriginal artists from the region, the machines were to be taken around the world to raise awareness of the importance of giving the world’s oldest continuous cultures a chance to create a future (Transplant Australia).
It is wonderful that the pieces of artwork you have selected have a special meaning to my people, with fire and water being integral to my culture, holding importance for survival and life.
‘Tjanpi Kampanyi’ – also known as ‘Burning Grass’ represents a cultural activity of my people dating back tens of thousands of years, which is still done today. It is about how my people, for many generations have burnt off the bush land for hunting purposes, for safety and for re-growth.
The importance of water cannot be understated, being depicted in many works such as the ‘Water Symbol on Cave Wall’. This is to tell other travellers that there was water around.
Of course water is captured in many of my artwork such as ‘Kapi Nguru’ (From Water) that describes the tracks of the, water holes, salt lakes, creek and river beds, when viewed from up high.
And in the selection, I have chosen ‘bush tucker’, in some of the many forms that are also important ingredient to our survival.
Footnote & References
- Malpa Project, Transplant Australia, original link was http://www.transplant.org.au/Malpa.html (no longer active).
- Transplant Australia, http://www.transplant.org.au/
- We were privileged to provide space for Trephina at our home in Alice Springs to paint the Dialysis Machine.
Trephina Sultan ThanguwaTrephina Sultan Gallery Bush Food (2006) Bush Honey (Honey Grevillea) Bush Tobacco Country Desert Oak Bush Honey Dialysis Machine Art Symbolism Families Hunting and Gathering Bush Tucker Fire, Rain, Life Following the creeks and waterholes Goanna calling for rain Grandmothers Way Grass Seeds Healing Kamiku Ara Kapi (Rain) Kapi-Nguru Kulu Messy Art Minga Ntatha Flowers (My Desert Home in Spring) Rainbow Serpent Regeneration (Renewed Life) Seven Sisters Spiritual Journey Tjanpi Kampanyi Walpangku Wangka Katipai (Voices in the Wind) Water Symbol on Cave Wall Triptych: Fire, Rain, Life
Aboriginal ArtistsArchie Adrian Jangala Robertson Daniel Goodwin Dorothy Napangardi Elsie Numina Eric Braedon Mbitjana Evelyn Nungarrayi Jugadai Janet Tjitayi Keith Morgan Pitjara Kukula McDonald Nellie Marks Nakamarra Raymond Walters Japanangka Selma Coulthard Trephina Sultan Thanguwa
