Warlukurlangu Artists

Warlukurlangu Artists is one of Australia’s oldest art centres. Its name means ‘belonging to fire’ in the local language, Warlpiri, and is named for a fire dreaming site west of Yuendumu. The art centre supports artists in Yuendumu, as well as those living in adjacent Warlpiri communities of Yuelumu, Willowra and Nyirripi.

The founding artists – active from the early 1970s – were Paddy Japaljarri Stewart, Paddy Japaljarri Sims, 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. The majority of these artists are represented in public and private collections globally.

Warlu, as it’s fondly called, has developed a reputation over the decades as an artistic and commercially innovative powerhouse. Alma Nungarrayi Granites and Wendy Nungarrayi Brown were artists in residence at the Australian Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. In 2011 it was the 2011 winner of the NT Export Award Art and Entertainment category.

A multi-tiered art centre, Warlu supports and manages the careers of contemporary artists working towards gallery and museum exhibitions; it services a large number of diverse artists painting for the affordable and home decoration markets; and it manages the image licensing of artworks.

Warlu’s highly successful image licensing program returns over $1 million annually to its artists, in addition to income generated from art sales. The products using Warlu’s licensed images can found all over the world.

The younger generation of Warlu artists follow in the footsteps of their elders, but they bring their own artistic interpretations and technical innovations to the art making process. These evolutions honour the traditions of their forebears, while ensuring that the art created at Warlu today is dynamic and representative of contemporary Indigenous life in a remote community.