Walawuru ngunytju kukaku ananyi (Mother eagles going hunting)

‘I paint the stories of my father’s country – Walawuru Tjukurpa – the story of the eagles. This is my tjukurpa and all of my children’s tjukurpa too.’

Iluwanti Ken (born 1944) is a Pitjantjatjara artist, originally from Watarru and now living in Amata, in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands in South Australia. She works across weaving, painting and drawing, as is particularly known for large-scale ink drawings which feature mother eagles hunting.

Her drawings are created using punu (wooden) sticks and express her tjukurpa. She says that birds like the walawuru (eagles) and patupiri (swallows) have lessons for Anangu women about how to care for one’s children. These birds build strong wiltjas (shelters) for their family, they hunt for food and protect their young from danger.
This subject of this drawing is the artist’s Country, Watarru, south west of Amata. Recent heavy rains have changed this usually-dry desert environment, filling the rock holes with water. The drawing shows the large birds hunting around the waterholes, drawn towards the water source.

‘I paint the Walawulu, the Eagle. I have actually painted the eagle for years and I also make sculptures of the eagle with Tjanpi Desert Weavers. Eagles have lots of lessons to share with Anangu women, particularly in regard to motherhood…Protecting, feeding and caring for children, Anangu women have always looked to the eagles for these lessons.’ – Iluwanti Ken 2020