EILEEN STEVENS YARITJA, Tjala, 2005

EILEEN STEVENS YARITJA Pitjantjatjara language, c.1919 - 2008 Tjala, 2005 acrylic on canvas 92 x 111 cm bears inscription verso: NKUES05229, Eileen Yaritja Stevens, 2005, Ninuku Artists PROVENANCE Ninuku Artists, South Australia, Cat No. NKUES05229 Vivien Anderson Gallery, Victoria The Collection of Barbara Hansen, Victoria Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Ninuku Artists EXHIBITED Minyma Kutjara Kutjara - Four Women of Tjungu Palya, 5 April - 6 May 2006, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Victoria This painting depicts Tjala Tjukurpa (Honey Ant Dreaming) associated with Makiti, the birthplace and traditional Country of Eileen Yaritja Stevens, situated near Fregon (Kaltjiti) in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands of South Australia. Born at Makiti, Stevens maintained a deep personal and cultural connection to this Country throughout her life. As a young woman, she worked at Ernabella Mission, where her duties included milking goats, before later becoming recognised for her paintings depicting the ancestral stories and landscapes of her homeland. Makiti is an important site associated with Tjala Tjukurpa. The painting depicts women digging for tjala (honey ants), a highly valued traditional bush food found beneath the desert surface. Gathering honey ants requires an intimate knowledge of Country, including the seasonal conditions and subtle signs that indicate their presence underground.This knowledge, passed down through generations of Anangu women, connects the practice of gathering food with the ancestral stories embedded within the landscape. Through her depiction of Tjala Tjukurpa, Stevens expresses her enduring connection to her birthplace, bringing together ancestral knowledge, women's cultural practices and the significance of Country across generations. © EILEEN STEVENS / Copyright Agency, 2026

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