Nhanha Arna-Urrknga Nurnaka Pmara-Rinya Rinya
This Clay Belongs To Our Country
2023 | Local wild clay, earthenware, underglazes
Nhanha Arna-Urrknga Nurnaka Pmara-rinya rinya (This Clay Belongs to Our Country) is a process driven body of work through which the Hermannsburg potters locate, extract, and process clay from their traditional lands on Western Aranda Country to create ceramic work. In Western Aranda culture, the concept of ‘Country’ refers not just to nations, or the physical landscape, but also to the living one – the plants, animals, people and the ways in which they interrelate. It is a place of belonging and a way of being. The term contains complex ideas about law, custom, language, spiritual belief, cultural practice, family and identity. The bringing of clay from Western Aranda lands to Delhi, India, is itself a deeply symbolic gesture, transporting ‘Country’ and all that is embedded within it – culture, custom, identity, memory, understanding – to be generously shared in a new context.
ANDREA PUNGARTA RONTJ I ALIZHA PANANGKA COULTHARD I ANITA MBITJANA RATARA | ABEL PAREROULTJA | I BETH MBITJANA INKAMALA I CLAIRE PAREROULTJA | DAWN NGALA WHEELER | HAYLEY COULTHARD I RONA RUBUNTJA I SHIRLEY WHEELER
HAYLEY COULTHARD AND RONA RUBUNTJA
The HERMANNSBURG POTTERS are a dedicated group of Western Aranda (Australian Aboriginal) artists creating vibrant handmade ceramic pots that express their collective and individually lived experiences in their distinct Country. The Potters practice from their studio in the small community of Ntaria/Hermannsburg, in the remote central desert region of Australia.
Through ceramics, the Potters sculpt and paint their visual histories and contemporary settings, speaking to Western Aranda cultural beliefs and traditions and the present-day experiences of Indigenous peoples in Australia.
Hayley Coulthard is an artist, art worker and current Chair of Hermannsburg Potters. She has been working with clay for 15 years and has exhibited widely across Australia and internationally. Rona Rubuntja is a founding member of Hermannsburg Potters where she has practiced for over 30 years. Rona is deaf and uses art to share stories from her life. She is renowned for her vibrant, humorous work and technical skill.
Other exhibiting artists
ANITA MBITJANA RATARA | ALIZHA PANANGKA COULTHARD | DAWN NGALA WHEELER | BETH MBITJANA INKAMALA | ABEL PAREROULTJA | CLAIRE PAREROULTJA | SHIRLEY WHEELER | ANDREA PUNGARTA RONTJI
