Nganana Tjungu / This Is Us – Tobias Titz & Ikuntji Artists

The Project

In 2018 Ikuntji Artists collaborated with photographer Tobias Titz to create a unique body of artworks featuring polaroid portraits by Tobias Titz accompanied by etchings created by Ikuntji artists.

The diversity of styles in these works is striking, yet the body of work comes together as a powerful expression of the people, history and the rich culture of the art centre and the Haasts Bluff community. The images are inspired by Tobias Titz’s long term ‘Polaroid project’ which began in 1998, one strand of which combines his instantaneous portraits of First Nations Australians with etchings made by them into the wet emulsion of the large format Polaroid negative. “Nganana Tjungu – this is us” is part of Ikuntji Artists ‘History Project’ that began in 2017. It was initiated by the Board of Ikuntji Artists as a way of re-telling the history of Ikuntji from within, from the perspective of its owners. Ikuntji Artists was the first Indigenous art centre in the Western Desert established by women. It was inclusive of all community members, however, had a focus on supporting women. The History project is about the unheard voices of the Western Desert art movement, aiming at documenting and celebrating the life stories and histories of Ikuntji Artists and the art movement through multimedia and bilingual texts.

Today Ikuntji Artists has eight key artists, plus a number of young new and emerging artists engaging with the art centre. Succession planning is critical as three key elder artists passed away in the last 18 months. Creating opportunities to work with new media and express self and culture in new ways is enriching and engaging for our members, who found working with these mediums was an intriguing and valuable experience. Established artists such as Eunice Napanangka Jack, have worked previously with etching and works on paper, however, for many it was an entirely new experience.