Tjukurpa Tjina – Desert Tracks
artists of tjala arts
12–27 july
Freda Brady, with her piece Seven Sisters
Angela Burton on country
"A long time ago, long before us, my ancestors lived on this Country. They knew all about how to live on Country; where they could find water holes, food, and places to shelter with their family. They passed this knowledge down, daughters to daughters, sons to sons, through the generations to us. I feel happy to paint my Country, and proud to tell the stories of my ancestors. Through my painting I'm teaching my daughters and grandchildren too. I'm doing this for my family- it's all about my family."
– Barbara Mbitjana Moore
Tjukurpa Tjina – Desert Tracks is an exhibition that explores powerful themes of ancestral knowledge, spiritual presence, and connection to Country.
Through depictions of malevolent spirit beings, ancient celestial narratives, and stories of women traversing the land in search of sustenance, each work reflects a deep engagement with Tjukurpa—ancestral law and creation stories. Expressions of healing, protection, and survival are intertwined with memories of landscape, sacred knowledge, and cultural continuity. These paintings are more than visual records; they are acts of teaching, resistance, and care—carried across generations, embedded in land and spirit, and shared through storytelling, ceremony, and art.
Tjukurpa Tjina – Desert Tracks presents the paintings of artists Angela Burton, Amelia Riley, Barbara Mbitjana Moore, Freda Brady, Janie Kulyuru Lewis, Kushia Young, Marissa Munti, Naomi Douglas, Naomi Kantjuriny, and Shirley Adamson, as well as animal carvings from the artists of Tjala Arts.
Tjukurpa Tjina – Desert Tracks is presented by BSG Projects in collaboration with Tjala Arts.
Please join us in celebration of the opening of Tjukurpa Tjina – Desert Tracks on Saturday 12 July (6–8PM)
exhibition collection
Tjala Arts is located at Amata Community, in the far northwest of South Australia. It is an Aboriginal owned and managed corporation that sells artwork on behalf of its members. Since its foundation in 1999 (originally as Minymaku Arts) Tjala Arts has concentrated on adapting traditional aboriginal symbols and designs to create contemporary abstract imagery. The centre provides an opportunity for the Anangu (Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal people) to develop skills in fine art and regional craft production. The art centre also plays a significant role in the well-being of the community and maintaining culture and law.
