As a senior law woman of the Kaltukatjara area, Marthaβs work draws significant inspiration from local landscape and Tjukurpa (dreaming) stories. Marthaβs whole family have lived and travelled in the Kaltukatja area for generations, and her paintings are a tribute to her significant cultural and historical contribution to her community.
In this work, Martha interprets the Kungka Kutjara Tjukurpa, meaning Two Women. Kungka Kutjara is a creation story following two sisters who travel through the desert leaving significant landmarks in their wake. Marthaβs painting focuses on a significant cultural site just outside Kaltukatjara where the two sisters stopped to rest under two big shade trees. It also shows features of the striking desert landscape such as kapi (rock holes), purnu (trees) and puli (rocks).
Martha is a lively and animated artist whose works draw a connection between the physical and spiritual realms of her life. She sings Inma (ceremony) songs continuously as she paints, her steady voice offering a rhythm for the brush.
