Waltja: One Family brings together five members of one extraordinary artistic family from Wirrimanu (Balgo), in the remote south-east Kimberley region of Western Australia. The exhibition features paintings by Lucy Napanangka Yukenbarri and Helicopter Tjungurrayi alongside those of their three children - Christine Yukenbarri, Carmel Yukenbarri and Imelda Gugaman Yukenbarri - in a rare celebration of an intergenerational creative dialogue rooted in shared Warlpiri-Kukatja-Luritja heritage.
The artists are part of the Kutjungka - meaning "together, as one" - a community formed from the meeting of multiple Indigenous language groups on the edge of the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts. Known for its vivid colour, bold brushwork and distinctly individual forms, Balgo painting has established itself as one of the most dynamic movements in contemporary Australian art. In Waltja: One Family, the story is both deeply personal and universal: family, Country and the enduring strength of cultural knowledge passed from one generation to the next.
JGM Gallery is one of London's leading specialists in Indigenous Australian art. A catalogue and accompanying issues of The JGM Review are available to coincide with the exhibition. Enquiries can be directed to info@jgmgallery.com.
Pictured: Helicopter Tjungurrayi Wangkartu, 2024 Acrylic on linen 121.9cm x 101.6cm