Ken Family Collaborative Seven Sisters

This collaborative canvas is painted by five sisters from the Ken family – Tjungkara Ken, Yaritji Young, Freda Brady, Maringka Tunkin and Sandra Ken – who live in the remote Aboriginal community of Amata in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in the far north-west of South Australia. The painting is a ‘Seven Sisters’ story about family protecting and teaching each other. It tells of women being chased by a bad man but being protected by their elder sisters. We have also included the tjala (honey ant), which refers to our country. When we work together as a family we are learning from each other and teaching each other. Our family is strong because we teach all our young women this important tjukurpa (the force which unites Anangu with each other and with the landscape).

Kungkarangkalpa tjukurpa
(Tjungkara Ken, Yaritji Young, Freda Brady, Maringka Tunkin munu Sandra Ken)
Nganampa Tjukurpa Walytja

Nganana minyma kunpu kanyini nganampa walytja-ngka. Panya kungkarangkalpa tjukurpa nganampa walytja. Panya paluru tjanayanku tjungungku atunymananyi munu tjungungku nintiningi. Ka palu purunypa Ananguku arangka nganana kanyini walytja uwankara. Nganana uwankara kangkuru pulka tjuta minyma malatja, malatja tjutaka. Panya kungkarangkalpaku tjukurpa purunypa. Nganana mulapa malanypa tjuta pulkara nintima munu atunymanama. Ka nganana walytjapiti Tjungu warkarira nganana tjungu nintiringkupai munula tjungungku nintilpai nganampa malanypa tjuta munu nganampa walyta tjuta munu naganampa untalpa tjutakulu. Ka nganampa art centre kuwari kunpu ngaranyi panya nganana nintini minyma malatja malatja tjuta tjukurpa nganampaku

- Ken family, 2016