About Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation

Warlukurlangu Artists is one of the longest running and most successful Aboriginal-owned art centres in Central Australia.

Warlukurlangu Artists is supported by funding from the Australian Government through the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support.

Established in 1985 Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation is a not-for-profit organisation that is 100% Aboriginal-owned by its artists from the remote desert community of Yuendumu in Central Australia. Our main business is to promote the maintenance of local Indigenous culture by producing beautiful Aboriginal Art which is then sold around Australia and the world!

Warlukurlangu Artists is famous for its gloriously colourful acrylic paintings and limited edition prints. The Aboriginal art centre has a national and international profile and its art has been featured in hundreds of exhibitions and publications in Australia and around the world.

Warlukurlangu means ‘belonging to fire’ in the local language, Warlpiri, and is named for a fire dreaming site west of Yuendumu.

Warlukurlangu Artists is based in the community of Yuendumu in Central Australia, located 290km northwest from Alice Springs on the Tanami Road. Yuendumu is a large Aboriginal community; the population fluctuates between 700 to 1000 people and it comprises families from similar language groups with strong cohesive traditional culture. Yuendumu has a school, clinic, police station, several shops and other Aboriginal organisations including Mt Theo Youth Program, Kurdu Kurdukurlangu Childcare Centre, Western Desert Dialysis Unit, PAW Media, and Women’s Centre.

Warlukurlangu Artists also supports the artists from the neighbouring Warlpiri communities of Nyirripi and Yuelumu.

It is a fundamental aim of Warlukurlangu Artists to share Warlpiri culture and in addition, to increase awareness about Aboriginal culture generally, and to broadly support Indigenous causes. Over the years Warlukurlangu Artists has supported its own community and other organisations working to improve conditions for Aboriginal people. It has contributed funds or artworks for fund-raising to a number of projects such as the Yuendumu Community Swimming Pool, Kurdu Kurdukurlangu Childcare Centre and Shalom Gamaroda Scholarship Fund which supports Indigenous students studying for a variety of medical and health related degrees at University of NSW.

Any person in the two communities of Yuendumu and Nyirripi can engage with the activities of the art centre. Anyone who does engage is referred to as an ‘artist’ whether they have just started painting or have been painting for many years.

Artists actively participate in the ongoing development of the organisation. The management of the art centre works hard to create a space where the artists feel safe, comfortable and happy to come together to paint and share their knowledge. There are over 600 artists currently participating. Some come every day and some may do only one or two paintings a year.

People also come from other nearby outlying communities, Yuelumu, Laramba, Willowra and Alice Springs to sell craft items through the centre. If people from any of these communities are in Yuendumu visiting family they are also welcome to participate in the art centre.

Visitors to the art centre often ask why Aboriginal people paint. There are many reasons, the primary ones being:

To engage in a social activity
To have a meaningful daily activity
To keep traditional culture alive
To transmit culture to the younger generations
To share their culture with the wider community, both nationally and internationally
To earn additional income
To gain acknowledgement, respect and pride

It is not uncommon to find several generations of one family at the art centre at any one time, grandparents painting with their grandchildren. In this way the younger generations are being instructed in the stories and designs of their traditional culture. Frequently the older artists can be heard singing the songs associated with the story they are painting. It is often said that by the very act of painting traditional Indigenous culture is being reinvigorated and kept alive.

Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation is directed by an Executive Committee of men and women representing Yuendumu community’s ‘skin groups.’

Regular meetings are held at the art centre to discuss the business performance and to develop policy with the management. These meetings are open to all the artists.

Warlukurlangu Artists prides itself on being a successful collaborative enterprise where non-Indigenous and local people bring their own unique skills to work as a team. Executive Committee members are on site painting, attending to business, and interacting with staff and visitors every day.

Current Executive Committee 2026:

Wendy Nungarrayi Brown, Chair
Reanne Nampijinpa Brown
Nigel Japanangka Marshall
Marlette Napurrurla Ross
Peggy Nampijinpa Brown
Julie Nangala Robertson
Michael Jangala Watson
Elizabeth Katakarinja
Nancy Napurrurla Oldfield
Sabrina Napangardi Granites
Stephen Jakamarra Walker

Over the years the Warlukurlangu Committee has regularly participated in governance training. Several Warlukurlangu artists have also served on the Executive Committee of Desart, the Association of Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Centres. Andrea Nungarrayi Martin served on the Desart committee for many years as did Tess Napaljarri Ross.

Warlukurlangu Artists has a team of dedicated and professional staff who work closely with the artists to produce, market and distribute the artworks. All the staff live in the community and have a relationship with community members and other community organisations.

Staff seek exhibition and consignment opportunities for the artists and build the necessary networks across Australia and internationally to support the sale of artworks. In addition they contribute to the overall industry through various professional roles. Over the last ten years the managers have introduced industry ‘best practice’ policies and procedures.

Warlukurlangu Artists is committed to training local community members of all ages in working and running their art centre. People are encouraged to work and locals turn up to assist with day to day activities.

The art centre is a busy, vibrant space which is the cultural hub of the community.

Making Art

The primary activity of the art centre is the production of acrylic paintings on canvas. The art centre regularly conducts professional on-site painting and print workshops for the artists.

Professional development workshops provide an opportunity for the artists to learn new skills and techniques, experiment with different media and vary their regular routine, have fun and develop their practice.

Over the years the artists have worked in collaboration with printmaking studios Northern Editions and Basil Hall Editions to produce many limited edition, fine art prints. These prints are available for sale through this website.

Warlukurlangu Artists has also worked with Batchelor Institute to conduct on site workshops in painting and drawing.

School holiday children’s workshops are very popular. The children are taught by senior artists to paint their traditional designs and learn the stories associated with the designs. They produce small paintings which are available for sale.

The art centre also organises governance and ‘money story’ training.

Cultural Maintenance

The maintenance of Warlpiri culture and its transfer to the next generation of Warlpiri people is a key element of Warlukurlangu Artists mission which states:

Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association is the guardian of the Jukurrpa,  the law and culture of the Warlpiri and Anmatyerre people living at Yuendumu.

Warlukurlangu aims to ‘keep the culture strong’.

Warlukurlangu provides a forum and support base for cultural and  social activities within the community.

Warlukurlangu provides a means for the economic empowerment of the  Yuendumu community, through the provision of services to its member artists  for the production, marketing, and distribution of their visual arts and crafts.

The art centre supports community cultural activities such as the young men’s annual initiation camps by supporting families and providing ceremonial materials such as ochre, feathers and hair string. When people pass away the art centre often supports the ‘sorry camps’ by providing food, water and money for blankets.

For many years Warlukurlangu has supported a school holiday cultural maintenance program. Children practice their traditional designs and learn the stories associated with them as well as earning a little bit of pocket money.

Warlukurlangu art centre is proud of its painting and story archive, possibly one of the best in the Australia. Since 1986 every painting has been sold with an accompanying certificate of authenticity. Each certificate tells the story of the painting and has the artists and painting details. These records are a valuable cultural resource and an important repository of local Jukurrpa (dreaming stories).

Warlukurlangu Artists organizes annual ‘bush trips’ to country. Many people are no longer living on their traditional lands and these trips allow artists and community members to reconnect to their traditional culture and country. The artists value these trips highly. They may be simple day trips, or more ambitious journeys travelling hundreds of kilometres to specific sacred sites. This connection to country reinvigorates and inspires the artists painting practice.

Travel

Warlukurlangu Artists provides artists with opportunities to travel interstate and overseas to attend exhibition openings and other events in order to share their culture with interested audiences. These trips are an opportunity for the artists to see first-hand how their paintings are received.

The artists enjoy visiting new places and meeting new people. These trips also provide an insight and appreciation into the promotion and marketing of their artwork in the context of the wider Aboriginal art industry.

Warlukurlangu Artists has a proud history. Its paintings are in collections all over Australia and around the world. Its leading artists have travelled internationally representing Australia. The art centre now provides services to other neighbouring communities including Nyirripi and Yuelumu.

Early days

In the early 1970s Paddy Japaljarri Stewart was involved in the painting of the mural on the Papunya School wall. In 1983 he and Paddy Japaljarri Sims were instrumental together with other senior men in the painting of the now famous Yuendumu school doors. They went on with other senior leaders including Darby Jampinjnpa Ross, Jack Jakamarra Ross, Samson Japaljarri Martin and senior women including Uni Nampijinpa Martin, Dolly Nampijinpa Daniels, Rosie Nangala Fleming and Maggie Napangardi Watson to found the Warlukurlangu art centre in 1985. It was incorporated in 1986.

From the outset maintenance of culture was the predominant driving motivation of the leaders of the art centre, most of whom were also leaders of the men’s and women’s ceremonies, at the time when there was still a very active ceremonial life in Yuendumu. Warlukurlangu Artists has been the primary cultural organisation in Yuendumu for 26 years. Other famous artists from Yuendumu include Shorty Jangala Robertson, Judy Napangardi Watson, Bessie Nakamarra Sims, Liddy Napanangka Walker.

From its inception, Warlukurlangu’s art became recognized for its bold use of colour through an unrestricted palette and this was integral to the distinctive style that emerged. Another early distinctive feature was the use of very traditional iconography. The artists painted Jukurrpa (dreaming story), ensuring appropriate Warlpiri relationships of kirda (owners) and kurdugurlu (guardians) were followed and the images reflected the social and cultural obligations present in ceremonies and day-to-day life in the community. The kurawarri, the iconographic elements of a painting that held the story, were painted first and scrutinized by others for their adherence to Jukurrpa. The dotting that filled the canvases was less important, and many artists developed varying styles of application and experimented with different colours while maintaining a consistency in their presentation of kuruwarri.

Nowadays, the paintings tell the story of the artists connection to their country, the features of the landscape, the plants and animals that are found there and the creation myth that occurred in the Dreamtime. These stories are still very relevant to the artists today. Artists have their own particular styles or palettes, and constantly experiment and vary their paintings, so the works are constantly evolving.

Warlukurlangu Artists continues to grow, develop and expand.

Recent achievements

The art centre has grown significantly in terms of sales and artist participation and is now one of the three largest Aboriginal-owned art centres in Central Australia. While the kurawarri remains important to many, the economic benefits deriving from the enterprise are critical to many residents of Yuendumu, and to some extent people living in adjacent Warlpiri communities Yuelumu, Willowra and particularly Nyirripi whose artists are represented by Warlukurlangu.

Warlukurlangu Artists was the 2011 winner of the NT Export Award Art and Entertainment category and therefore automatically an entrant in the national awards.
In 2010 Warlukurlangu Artists’ Alma Nungarrayi Granites and Wendy Nungarrayi Brown were artists in residence in the Australian Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai.
Warlukurlangu Artists was successful in receiving Aboriginals Benefit Account funding of $450,000 to support the Nyirripi artists.
In 2010 – 2011 Warlukurlangu provided over 30 gallery exhibitions, with artists attending a number of interstate exhibitions.
Exhibitions included ‘sell out’ shows in Perth, Singapore and Germany.
The Warlukurlangu Manager served on the Board of the new Indigenous Art Code for two years during its complex development and establishment period.
The Assistant Manager served on the Advisory Committee for the new art centre database SAM, replacing the AMS system.

In October 2005 Warlukurlangu Artists celebrated the opening of its new building and the milestone of 20 years as a successful Aboriginal owned and operated art centre. Coinciding with the completion of the new art centre building, the 2005 Open Day was a fitting celebration of achievements at Yuendumu. The art centre organised a party and locals joined visitors from across Australia and from overseas. Despite heavy rain the week before and a torrential downpour on the morning, several hundred visitors travelled the officially-closed Tanami Road to attend. It was a happy and successful weekend with traditional dancing, a barbeque, film night, and battle of the bands, and children danced into the small hours of the morning.