A collaboration grounded in art, community and connection
This Summer, OBUS collaborated with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned art centre based in Yuendumu and Nyirripi in the Northern Territory.
The collaboration grew from time spent at the art centre, supporting artists as they worked and learning about the role of Warlukurlangu as a creative and community hub. From this time spent together, three artists were invited to be featured across the collection.
This blog focuses on the work of Magda Nakamarrra Curtis.
Magda Nakamarrra Curtis is a Warlpiri artist from Nyirripi, known for her vivid and dynamic paintings that interpret important sites and stories connected to Country. Her work is energetic and immersive, marked by flowing lines and rich colour.
For this collaboration, Magda’s artwork has been translated into wearable pieces that bring her work into an everyday context.
Below, Magda shares more about her practice and the story behind her artwork.
Can you tell us about this artwork what story or place does it come from?
This painting is Lappi Lappi. It’s a rock hole a long way from Yuendumu. It’s my grandmother’s country. It is a living waterhole and there is lots of bush tucker there. I have never been there, that’s my dream, to see that place before I pass away.
It’s a story about one snake that lived under the ground. My grandmother told me that story. When women and children were making too much noise, the snake travelled silently towards them under the water. When it reached the edge of the rock hole, it rose out of the water and ate them all.
How does painting make you feel?
I feel very proud painting. I remember my grandmother, Mary Anne Nampijinpa Michaels. I remember all the stories she told me. When I am painting, I think of her and I can hear her voice singing the songs of Lappi Lappi. I miss her so much.
What do you enjoy most about painting?
Painting makes me happy. I have been very lonely in Alice Springs, away from my community and family. Painting has made me feel close to my family and close to my country. That is why I love to paint, to remember where I am from.
How did it feel seeing your artwork turned into clothing?
I am very proud to see my paintings on fabric and clothes. I can’t wait to wear the t-shirts. When I first saw the fabric, I laughed with happiness. I wanted to wear it straight away.
What do you hope people feel when they wear this piece?
I hope people feel happy wearing my designs. It makes me smile to think of people walking around Melbourne in my paintings. They are bright, happy colours, and my grandmother would be so proud to see my paintings made into clothes.
Who taught you to paint or encouraged you when you started?
Both my grandmothers were painters. I am inspired by their knowledge and paintings, and by my mother, aunties, and sisters, who are all artists too. My father was also an artist, but he painted in a different way, landscapes of our community. Now I also paint on ceramics every week, and it makes me happy and proud.
What does painting mean for your family or community?
Painting is how we tell the stories of our country and how we share our Jukurrpa (Dreaming).
Explore the wearable artworks created from Magda Nakamarrra Curtis’s work as part of the OBUS × WARLU collaboration.
OBUS x WARLU: MAGDA
A collaboration grounded in art, community and connection
This Summer, OBUS collaborated with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned art centre based in Yuendumu and Nyirripi in the Northern Territory.
The collaboration grew from time spent at the art centre, supporting artists as they worked and learning about the role of Warlukurlangu as a creative and community hub. From this time spent together, three artists were invited to be featured across the collection.
This blog focuses on the work of Magda Nakamarrra Curtis.
Magda Nakamarrra Curtis is a Warlpiri artist from Nyirripi, known for her vivid and dynamic paintings that interpret important sites and stories connected to Country. Her work is energetic and immersive, marked by flowing lines and rich colour.
For this collaboration, Magda’s artwork has been translated into wearable pieces that bring her work into an everyday context.
Below, Magda shares more about her practice and the story behind her artwork.
Can you tell us about this artwork what story or place does it come from?
This painting is Lappi Lappi. It’s a rock hole a long way from Yuendumu. It’s my grandmother’s country. It is a living waterhole and there is lots of bush tucker there. I have never been there, that’s my dream, to see that place before I pass away.
It’s a story about one snake that lived under the ground. My grandmother told me that story. When women and children were making too much noise, the snake travelled silently towards them under the water. When it reached the edge of the rock hole, it rose out of the water and ate them all.
How does painting make you feel?
I feel very proud painting. I remember my grandmother, Mary Anne Nampijinpa Michaels. I remember all the stories she told me. When I am painting, I think of her and I can hear her voice singing the songs of Lappi Lappi. I miss her so much.
What do you enjoy most about painting?
Painting makes me happy. I have been very lonely in Alice Springs, away from my community and family. Painting has made me feel close to my family and close to my country. That is why I love to paint, to remember where I am from.
How did it feel seeing your artwork turned into clothing?
I am very proud to see my paintings on fabric and clothes. I can’t wait to wear the t-shirts. When I first saw the fabric, I laughed with happiness. I wanted to wear it straight away.
What do you hope people feel when they wear this piece?
I hope people feel happy wearing my designs. It makes me smile to think of people walking around Melbourne in my paintings. They are bright, happy colours, and my grandmother would be so proud to see my paintings made into clothes.
Who taught you to paint or encouraged you when you started?
Both my grandmothers were painters. I am inspired by their knowledge and paintings, and by my mother, aunties, and sisters, who are all artists too. My father was also an artist, but he painted in a different way, landscapes of our community. Now I also paint on ceramics every week, and it makes me happy and proud.
What does painting mean for your family or community?
Painting is how we tell the stories of our country and how we share our Jukurrpa (Dreaming).
Explore the wearable artworks created from Magda Nakamarrra Curtis’s work as part of the OBUS × WARLU collaboration.