Ruby Williamson

Ruby’s Pitjantjatjara name is Tjangawa. She was born out west of Amata in the bush. Ruby and her family came to Amata when she was a young girl most likely around the time Amata was established in the 1960s. Ruby is now a senior law woman, living in the Amata community on the Pitjantjatjarra lands. She is committed to fostering law and culture, story-telling, hunting, punu – wooden carving, dancing and painting. Ruby has been painting with Minymaku Arts since 2000 and is already receiving attention and acclaim for her contemporary style. Ruby is also recognised for her ‘punu’ woodblocks, a process that involves burning the design into a wooden surface using hot wire. The National Gallery of Australia purchased a selection of her prints in 2004. Ultukunpa or honey-grevillea is a central theme around the many of her paintings. The Honey Grevillea plant comes into flower around November-December in the Central Desert . It is also known by the name of Kaliny-kalinypa. Ruby’s mother’s country is Blackstone, Western Australia and her father’s country is Pukara, south of Wingellina. Her dreaming is Tinka – sand goannas.