malatja-malatja is the first major survey of celebrated artist Betty Kuntiwa Pumani, presented at Bundanon and spanning fifteen years of her practice. Bringing together key works that trace the development of her powerful visual language, the exhibition centres on Pumani’s deep commitment to the stories of Antara and the Maku Tjukurpa.
This landmark presentation also honours the matriarchs who shaped the Mimili Maku Arts movement. Works by Pumani’s late mother, Kunmanara (Milatjari) Pumani, and her late sister, Kunmanara (Ngupulya) Pumani, sit alongside her own — a testament to the intergenerational strength and cultural leadership of these women. Several pieces are drawn from the Mimili Maku Arts Cultural Collection, a living, community-held archive created to safeguard and transmit Aṉangu knowledge.
For Pumani, the exhibition is a moment of gathering: “my older paintings and my newer paintings together… my grandmother, my mother, my daughter.” It includes a collaborative work made with her daughter Marina, extending the story of malatja-malatja - those who come after - into the next generation.
Quiet, resonant, and deeply rooted in Country, malatja-malatja invites visitors to sit with these paintings and witness a matrilineal story carried forward with courage, care, and continuity.
Selected Images
