"Pukara" Blown glass vessel, with design painted by Monica Puntjina Watson of Ninuku Arts 

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Monica Puntjina Watson

Puntjina, also known as Monica, was born circa 1940 at Pukara, an important rockhole and water snake Tjukurpa (Dreaming story) site in Western Australia. As a young girl, she walked to Pukatja (Ernabella) with her father and his three wives – the youngest of them was celebrated artist Wingu Tingima. When she was a bit older, Puntjina worked in the craft room at Pukatja, but she then married Wimitja Watson– a Ngangkari (traditional healer) – and moved with him to Amata, where they had many children. The family wanted to be closer to their home land so during the homelands movement (an initiative to enable Anangu to return to their own country) in the late 1970s they moved to Pipalyatjara.

Puntjina is an important elder in Pipalyatjara, where she continues to live with her husband and family. Both she and her husband are heavily involved in cultural business and travel across much of the area to participate in it. Puntjina has become known for her vibrant use of color, particularly an iconic, high-key yellow. She also has a quirky approach to composition, often framing her paintings with an intricate border created by a plethora of colored dots. Puntjina is a committed artist, painting every day at Ninuku Arts and has established herself as one of the center’s leading artists.

Ninuku Arts

Ninuku Arts is an Indigenous Arts centre located in the remote community of Kalka in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands, near the tri-state border of South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Since 2019, Ninuku Arts has collaborated with JamFactory’s Glass Studio to create exquisite handcrafted glass vessels that blend contemporary glassmaking techniques with traditional Indigenous designs.

ABOUT THE 'WALKA WIRU: NINUKU TJUKURPA – LOVELY COUNTRY: NINUKU STORIES' EXHIBITION:

Artists from Ninuku Arts, an Indigenous Arts centre located in the remote community of Kalka in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands, collaborate with JamFactory’s Glass Studio to create unique glass vessels featuring the artists hand painted bold designs.

Presented in conjunction with Chihuly in the Botanic Garden.

PRODUCT DETAILS:

Materials: glass, high-fire enamel
Dimensions: 250 x 290
Catalogue #: 24-287

Due to the handmade nature of the products dimensions may vary on individual pieces.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS PIECE IS ON DISPLAY AS PART OF THE 'WALKA WIRU: NINUKU TJUKURPA – LOVELY COUNTRY: NINUKU STORIES' EXHIBITION 

THE EXHIBITION RUNS UNTIL JANUARY 12th, 2025. ANY SOLD WORK WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR COLLECTION OR DELIVERY MID-LATE JANUARY 2025.

Purchases from our shops directly support individual artists as well as our unique exhibition and training programs.

Handmade in Australia.