This collection brings together works by senior and emerging artists, reflecting the intergenerational sharing of knowledge across NPY communities from kami (grandmothers), ngunytju (mothers), untal(pa) (daughters), kangkuru (sisters) and kuntili (aunties).

For NPY women, weaving is deeply connected to time spent together out bush - collecting tjanpi (native desert grasses), hunting, visiting Country and sharing stories and skills. These works celebrate not only individual expression, but the strength of working together, learning from one another, and keeping connections strong.

About the artist:

Yanyangkari Roma Butler is a weaver belonging to the Pitjantjatjara language and cultural group. She was born in 1959 at Wilu Rockhole, on the kanyala tjukurpa track near Amata in South Australia. Yanyangkari spent her early years at Ernabella Mission and then travelled by camel to Milyirrtjarra (Warburton) in Western Australia where she went to school. She then lived in Irrunytju (Wingellina) before relocating to Warakurna, WA, where she resides today.

A joyous woman of many talents, Yanyangkari is a wonderful storyteller, keen hunter and knowledge holder, and loves to work with young women to teach and maintain culture. Yanyangkari is an award-winning Tjanpi sculptural artist, and her Tjanpi artworks are recognisable by their dynamism and character, quirky details, and inventive stitching. Her works were included in the 56th International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale in 2015 as part of Kuka Irititja for the Fiona Hall exhibition Wrong Way Time in the Australia Pavilion. Roma and the Tjanpi artists in this exhibition made animals from the desert region that are endangered or extinct.

Yanyangkari was also a finalist in the 2015 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, and was the winner of Best Sculptural Work in the 2018 Hedland Art Award for her sculpture, Nyukali. In 2020 Yanyangkari was involved in the National Gallery of Australia’s commissioned work, Kungkarangkalpa (Seven Sisters), a key work featured in Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now, an exhibition celebrating women artists from across the country. Yanyangkari's meticulously woven self portrait, Ngayulu Munu Ngayuku Papa (Me and My Dogs) was a finalist in the prestigious 2021 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards. The life-sized sculpture celebrates the love, companionship and joy shared between Yanyangkari and her beloved papas.

In 2021, Tjanpi Desert Weavers released Kukaputju (The Hunter), a short animation film, of which Yanyangkari was the Cultural Director, Storyteller and one of 16 prop artists. Kukaputju combines the art forms of Tjanpi fibre sculpture, stop-motion animation and oral storytelling to bring to the screen a glimpse into the everyday life of Yanyangkari. The film, one of four, arose from Tjanpi’s artist-led imperative to explore different ways to tell and share stories through Tjanpi artwork.

'Iriti mulapa ngaya tjuta para-ngarangi Australia-la. Munu tjana tjulpu tjuta, tjati tjuta, ninu tjuta, kutjupa-kutjupa tjuta kulu ngalkupai.

Panya kuwari ninu tjuta, tjakura tjuta wiyaringu, ka nganana putu ngurini. Iriti panya Anangu tjutangku ngalkupai. Ngaya tjuta putu ngurintjaku munu mantjintjaku. Palu ngaya tjuta kuka wirunya.'

Cats have roamed around Australia for a long time. They feed on birds, lizards, bilbies and other animals too. We can’t find bilbies or great desert skinks now. In the old days Anangu used to eat cats. Cats are usually really hard to find and catch. But they taste lovely.' 

- Yanyangkari Roma Butler

Yanyangkari is an important senior law-woman and is an expert storyteller in various forms of art and media. She was instrumental in setting up Ngaanyatjarra Media and was one of the first Aṉangu camerawomen, working on many documentaries, including Minyma and Maku.

Tjanpi Desert Weavers (Tjanpi meaning ‘wild grass’) is an award-winning, Indigenous governed and directed social enterprise of the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Women’s Council (NPYWC). Tjanpi empowers over 400 women across a 350 000 square km area of the tri-state region of NT, SA and WA to earn an income and remain in their communities on Country.