Aboriginal Art Co is proud to present Kanta kanta kalu yirani kuruwarri pirrjirdi (all the women are painting strong stories), an exhibition showcasing the work of five emerging women artists from Warlukurlangu Artists, one of Australia's most celebrated Aboriginal-owned art centres.
Located in Yuendumu on Warlpiri Country, approximately 300 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs, Warlukurlangu Artists has played a pivotal role in supporting Warlpiri artists for more than four decades. Established in 1985, the Aboriginal-owned art centre is internationally recognised for producing works of exceptional artistic and cultural significance while ensuring artists maintain control over their stories and cultural knowledge.
This exhibition celebrates a new generation of Warlpiri women painters whose works reflect both the strength of tradition and the vitality of contemporary Aboriginal art. Through vibrant compositions, bold colour palettes and distinctive painting styles, each artist shares stories inherited through family, ceremony and Country.
The paintings depict important Jukurrpa (Dreaming) narratives connected to ancestral beings, bush foods, sacred sites and life-giving water sources. These stories are far more than visual representations of the landscape; they embody cultural law, kinship, ecological knowledge and the enduring relationship between people and Country. Passed from generation to generation, they continue to guide and strengthen Warlpiri life today.
While deeply grounded in cultural tradition, each artist brings her own creative voice to the canvas. Individual approaches to colour, composition and mark-making demonstrate the diversity that exists within Warlpiri painting traditions and highlight the evolution of one of Australia's most influential Aboriginal art movements.
The exhibition title, Kanta kanta kalu yirani kuruwarri pirrjirdi, translates as "all the women are painting strong stories." It speaks not only to the collective strength of these artists, but also to the important role Warlpiri women continue to play as custodians of cultural knowledge. Through painting, they honour the teachings of their Elders while ensuring these stories remain vibrant and continue to be shared with future generations.
As these emerging artists step confidently into the next chapter of Warlukurlangu's remarkable artistic legacy, they remind us that Aboriginal art is a living cultural practice—continually renewed through family, Country and community.
Kanta kanta kalu yirani kuruwarri pirrjirdi (all the women are painting strong stories) is on display now until 13 September 2026 in Gallery 2 at Aboriginal Art Co, 1/23 Anthony Street, West End.
Gallery hours: Tuesday–Friday, 2:00pm–4:00pm.
Join us for the opening celebration on Friday 3 July, from 5.30pm where both the Warlukurlangu Artists and Utopia Art Centre exhibitions will be officially launched.
We invite you to experience these powerful paintings and discover the cultural strength, artistic innovation and enduring stories of Warlpiri women from Yuendumu.
