Tjala Arts (APY Lands)

Tjala Arts was started by the women of Amata in 1997 and was originally called Minymaku Arts (Women’s Arts). It was renamed in 2006 to reflect the involvement of Anangu men in the art center. 

The art center is located in Amata is an Aboriginal community situated in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunyjatjara (APY) Lands. About 2500 people live in the region, which cover more than 103,000 square kilometres of arid land in in the far Northwest of South Australia. This remote community is situated among the picturesque Musgrave Ranges, approximately 120km south of Uluru (Ayers Rock) and 500km southwest of Alice Springs.

Tjala Arts is known for its diverse range of styles, energetic mark making and rich colorful palette. Artists explore Tjukurpa (stories, dreaming) of the region and create paintings which are filled with artistic integrity that immediately captivate their audience. Tjala Arts artists embrace a variety of media including acrylic paint on linen, traditional punu (wood work) and tjanpi (sculptural fiber weaving). Young Artists also explore more contemporary mediums including photography, film and sound work. Tjala Arts enables economic independence for its artists. Through strong governance, the art center has created widespread financial gain for families in the community and surrounding homelands. The center is now one of the ten largest art centers in Australia,

Tjala is the Pitjantjatjara word for Honey Ant - a traditional bush food, it is also the Tjukurpa or creation story for the Amata area. Tjala artists create works that reflect the extraordinary lives and stories of the Amata community.