Brett Jennings

The artist :
Brett Jennings is Ngaanyatjarra man from Western Australia. He grew up around Leonora and went also to school in Leonora. He went to high school in Kalgoorlie. In the early 70s he returned to Warburton. He came to find his father and stayed ever since. In the 90s he met Adele Hunt and got married. The couple have 3 children / 5 children and work together as a team making punu.He has family between Wiluna, Leonora, Kalgoorlie and Warburton Community. He is an upcoming leader in his community, working for Wilurarra Creative, a multidisciplinary recording studio and arts workshop for aboriginal youth. Brett carves exceptional punu alongside his wife Adele Jennings, and also writes music.
“I’ve been cuttng and carving wood now for a very long time and over the years I have gotten better at what I love doing. It is a tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation in my family to this very point where we are right now. I have always listened, looked and learned from the old people. That’s really important to have respect for them. I love making punu. The pattern and texture in the wood is just what I love about Mulga trees (Acacia Aneura). Doing the final touch in the boomerang or shield is so nice I really love it. Family and friends call me B.J.” – Brett Jennings
Mantar – Fathers country
Brett was born in 1967 and is from Warburton, WA.

Notes :
Known collectively as punu, the carvings of Anangu (Central and Western Desert Aboriginal people) have their beginnings in the Tjukurpa when the Creation Ancestors fashioned the first weapons and tools, setting down the laws and conventions of their design.
The Central and Western Desert kali or boomerang is a non-returning one and usually crafted from wanari, mulga wood. It is used for hunting and fighting and in pairs as a percussive instrument for inma or ceremony. Size and shape differ according to the individual craftsman.
“Watingku pungkula tjilpirpungkula kutjarara irira, ayi – mira mira wirura mulapa.” Anangu wati tjilpi
‘A man strikes and splits the wood in two, trims it back, exclaiming with pride – paying close attention to his expert crafting.’ Senior Aboriginal man