Tjayanka Woods facts for kids

Tjayanka Woods is an amazing Indigenous Australian artist. She was one of the first artists to start a new art movement in her region. This movement began around the year 2000. She is famous for her paintings. Tjayanka also makes beautiful baskets and other woven artworks. Her art can be seen in big galleries. These include the Art Gallery of Western Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria. You can also find her work at the National Gallery of Australia.

Early Life and Traditions

Tjayanka Woods was born around 1935. She was born near a place called Kaḻayapiṯi. This is a special rock hole in the Great Victoria Desert. This area is in South Australia.

She grew up living a traditional way of life. Her family moved around the bush. They lived off the land before meeting people from Europe. They often camped at Kaḻayapiṯi. Tjayanka and other girls would gather bushfood together.

She learned many skills as a child. She learned to carve simple tools. She also made decorative objects from wood. She would burn traditional patterns into the wood. This skill is called puṉu. Tjayanka also learned to spin hair string. She used a special hand-spun spindle. She wove head rings and belts from hair and feathers. These were used for ceremonies.

Becoming an Artist

Tjayanka Woods started painting in 2000. This was after she moved to Irrunytju. The women there opened an art center. It was a community project to help them earn money. They called it Irrunytju Arts.

From the very start, Tjayanka often painted with her friend Anmanari Brown. In 2007, Anmanari's husband passed away. The two friends then left Irrunytju. They moved to live at Papulankutja. This area is in Ngaanyatjarra lands. Here, they painted for Papulankutja Artists.

In April 2010, the two artists had their first big show together. It was at the Vivien Anderson Gallery in Melbourne. Tjayanka Woods has also been recognized for her talent. Two of her paintings were chosen as finalists. This was for the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award. This happened in both 2006 and 2008.

Her Unique Painting Style

Tjayanka Woods' paintings often tell a special story. This story is called the Minyma Kutjara Tjukurpa. It means "Two Sisters Dreaming." This is her personal Dreaming story.

Her paintings look like maps drawn in the sand. They show the journey of the two sisters. The journey traces around the edge of the canvas. She uses earthy colors in her artwork. She also uses solid and dotted lines. These lines form circles. They show the journeys and activities of the characters in the story.