Manyitjanu Lennon Pitjantjatjara, b. 1940
35 7/8 x 47 5/8 in
Manyitjanu Lennon often paints her mother’s country west of Kaltjiti and south of Watarru. As Manyitjanu describes the country: “This is Mamungari’nya. The place Mamungari’nya is a long way away. It is over the other side of the sand dunes past Tipilnga. The place where many white trees are growing, many white marble gums. The place where women turned into white marble gums on the snad dune south of Watarru; this is a tjukurpa story. So this is Mamungari’nya where lots of little gum saplings and emu bush grow. This is a place of claypans.’ Manyitjanu Lennon is a senior aboriginal elder who holds extensive cultural knowledge. She lives at Watinuma Community on the APY Lands and works with the Kaltjiti Arts Centre. Originally she was from the north of Watarru around Aralya and Kunytjanu. This is her mother’s country. Like many people of her era, Manyitjanu was born in the desert when her family were walking around, living a traditional nomadic life.