Ikuntji (meaning “where creeks cross”) is nestled within the spectacular West MacDonnell Ranges, 230 km west of Alice Springs. To the north of the community is Ulampawarru & Anyali (Mt. Edward & Mt. William), and to the south is the stunning Mereenie Bluff. The mountains change colour with the light of the day, with dramatic highlights that may only last a few seconds.

To the west there are soft red sand hills and stands of desert oak - known locally as 'the jungle'. Stories of long journeys of the Luritja people who travelled from the west during the hard times of the 1930's, moving from rockhole to rockhole and cave to mountain, are still told today in the paintings of the senior law women at Ikuntji.

Cradled between two desert mountain ranges, the Haasts Bluff region offers painters a constantly changing vista that moves through the colour spectrum throughout the day.

The life cycle of bush tucker varieties, and the routes taken across the country over many generations for harvesting these native foods are frequent stories told by the Ikuntji painters within their works, as are the stories of the spirit world that runs parallel with the physical world of the here and now.

In the beginning:

The Ikuntji Artists’ art centre at Haasts Bluff was opened in 1992 under the influence of then community president, the late Esther Jugadai. Soon the artists began producing acrylic paintings on linen and handmade paper which quickly gained the attention of the art world and earned the centre an impressive international reputation. Today about 15 key artists exhibit around Australia and overseas where their work is held in public galleries and private collections.

Ikuntji Artists and their Inspiration

Visits to country of great significance to the artists are a source of inspiration for their paintings. The experimentation and innovation for which the painting from Ikuntji is known has been received enthusiastically by collectors and galleries alike. The combination of their rich cultural heritage, which they draw upon, and their highly developed sense of artistic freedom has produced work that stands strongly in the context of international contemporary painting.

Collectively, Ikuntji aboriginal art paintings are recognisable through their bold colour and their inclusion of traditional motifs alongside figurative and naturalistic imagery.

Individually these artists have developed their own sophisticated and innovative visual repertoire to record their Tjukurrpa (laws), setting themselves apart by working with a strong sense of self expression.