Yaritji Young and Tjungkara Ken Collaborative
Amata, SA
Yaritji Young and Tjungkara Ken are sisters who paint the Tjala Tjukurpa. Yaritji and Tjungkara are from Amata Community on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in South Australia and, while they are respected artists in their own right, they also paint together on family collaborations. Here they have worked together to depict Tjala Tjukurpa (Honey Ant Story), the important cultural story that is their birthright and bond.
About the Artist
Yaritji Young is a respected senior Pitjantjatjara woman and multidisciplinary artist living and working in Amata, on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands of far north South Australia. She was born in Pukatja (Ernabella), South Australia and is the eldest daughter of distinguished artists Mick Wikilyiri and Kunmanara (Paniny) Mick (1939�2022). Yaritji is the eldest of the five Ken sisters who often collaborate on award-winning paintings.
Since late 2000, Yaritji has painted for Tjala Arts. She is recognised for her vibrant gestural paintings, which often depict her spectacular desert Country, inma (dance), and tell the story of the Tjala, the Honey Ant, an important creation story for the Pitjantjatjara people.
Her works are held in many major private and public collections in Australia and overseas, and she has been recognised as a finalist in the Telstra NATSIAA and the Hadley's Art Prize, and is a four-time finalist of the Wynne Prize.
Tjungkara Ken is an accomplished senior Pitjantjatjara artist from Amata, on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, South Australia. Born in Amata, Tjungkara is the youngest of nine children to Mick Wikilyiri and Kunmanara (Paniny) Mick (1939�2022).
Tjungkara has been painting for over 20 years at Tjala Arts and is known for her sophisticated use of colour and striking works depicting the Seven Sisters story and Tjala Tjukurpa (Honey Ant Story).
Her work has been acquired by major institutions and private collections across Australia and internationally. She has been a finalist in the Telstra NATSIAA multiple times, and the Archibald Prize and Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW.
