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From Cave to Canvas

Ancient secret Ngarinyin Aboriginal paintings from
Ngarinyin Lands in North-West Kimberley region of Western Australia

Mamaa: The Untouchable Ones

Wanjina Aboriginal cave rock art

11 June 2007 - Australian High Commission Media release - Ngarinyin visionaries and artists, Pansy Nulgit and her nephew Matthew Martin, have been selected by their community to launch Mamaa: The Untouchable Ones at the Australian High Commission in London. 

opening of exhibition photo courtesy Louise Jefferson

“Our paintings are a performance of renewing the spirit - the land, the law and the canvas cannot be separated.” Senior Ngarinyin Artist, Pansy Nulgit

The exhibition comprises paintings of the Wanjina (the god of three tribes of the Wanjin people including the Ngarinyin tribe) painted by Ngarinyin people from the North West Kimberley. The pictures and their stories are “mamaa” or sacred.   Traditionally Wanjina was never shown outside family or community but in the mid 90s Ngarinyin elders decide to open access to the traditional rock and cave paintings and began painting their stories onto canvas.  
Ngarinyin elders Paddy Neowarra and David Mowaljarlai were invited to speak at UNESCO Paris in 1997 on the significance of their Gwion and Wanjina rock art.  The elders brought their cave paintings translated onto canvas, to help explain to French audiences the meaning of “Wungud”, which means “where we come from.”  Neowarra and Mowaljarlai visited the Cro-Magnon Lascaux caves, in the south of France.   Paddy is a custodian of ancient caves in his own country and when he entered the Lascaux Caves he said it was like:

“….going into the belly of the snake, it was their Wungud country…their beliefs…. I could see the ancestor’s way of life and belief from these paintings…but it made me feel sad….they did not have the story really of these caves…no old people left to know the story.” 

On their return to Australia Neowarra and Mowaljarlai began the Ngarinyin “Cave to Canvas” movement to train the younger people to interpret their caves through the guidance of the elders putting their stories onto canvas. This will help to preserve their culture for future generations

“It was discussed amongst the elders as to whether they should proceed with translating their sacred sites, transferring the cave art onto canvas because in the past it was considered ‘untouchable’ - they had no right to show it to anyone unauthorized. It was ‘Mamaa’ – nobody should play around with it.”  Senior Ngarinyin Artist, Pansy Nulgit

The exhibition Mamaa: The Untouchable Ones comprises 40 works by 30 painters, some as young as eighteen years old.  “Cave to Canvas” has been recognised as one of the most influential movements in Australian Aboriginal art.

What:                Mamaa: The Untouchable Ones
Where:              Australian High Commission, London
When:               10 – 5pm
                        Wednesday 20 June – Saturday 23 June
                        Wednesday 27 June – Saturday 30 June

Address:            Australia House, Strand, London WC2B, entrance via Melbourne Place. 

For further information, media should call:

Heather Winter +61 (0) 041 703 5600  

Rita Fitzpatrick,  Australian High Commission,  London  020 7887 5446; rita.fitzpatrick@dfat.gov.au

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