Bruce Parker

The word ngura refers to land generally, but also has a more specific meaning of ‘place of belonging’. Country is where people are from and connected to in the deepest sense of the word. Iwantja Arts and Crafts is a working Aboriginal art and craft centre at Indulkana in the Anangu Ptijantjatjara Yangkunyjatjara Lands in the far north of South Australia. Only 8 km from the Stuart Highway between Alice Springs and Coober Pedy it is easily accessible for visitors. The art centre started in the early 80’s. One of the gentlemen discovered lino block printing while in Adelaide working with the music department at the Adelaide University. He was followed back to community by a PhD student who brought lino blocks with him. As carving lino is similar to making and marking wooden artefacts, people took to this medium, readily adapting this contemporary art form to reflect traditional values. People took blocks and carved them anywhere and everywhere: at meetings, around the campfire and even at church and then returned them to the art centre for printing. The women printed their own, but the men preferred to have theirs printed for them! Those first prints sold very quickly to private people, museums and galleries.