YJULKIWA ATIRA ATIRA - Ngayuku Ngura (My Country)

Yjulkiwa Atira Atira, whose powerful painting 'Ngayuku Ngura - My Country' shares her deep connection to Country and family story.

Born in 1951 in Watarru, South Australia, Yjulkiwa carries a rich cultural legacy. Her mother, the late Kuntjiriya Mick, was a respected artist, and her family ties stretch across significant lands - her father's Country is Kuntjanu, and her mother's is Walytjatjara in the Northern Territory.

She grew up during the mission era and went to school in Pukatja (Ernabella), where she later met her husband. The two raised a family while living in places like Fregon and Itjinpiri, before Yjulkiwa eventually settled in Pipalyatiara, where she lives today.

An admired elder and community leader, Yjulkiwa is bilingual in Pitjantjatjara and English and serves as chairperson at Ninuku Arts. Her creative journey began in the early days of Ernabella's craft movement, and her vibrant paintings are infused with the visual language of that tradition.

Her work honours her grandfather's Country, Arulya, capturing the spirit of place, memory, and ancestral knowledge through colour and form.