The artists of Mimili Maku Arts span generations, from emerging creatives to established visionaries. Together their work reflects the vibrant Mimili Community in South Australia on the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. In 2012, artists across families and generations made prints at a workshop on Country with the master printmaker Basil Hall. This selection speaks directly to the continuity of Aṉangu culture. Husband and wife Kunmanara (Mumu Mike) Williams and Tuppy Ngintja Goodwin mentored Robert Fielding who in turn taught his son Zaachariaha Fielding. Betty Kuntiwa Pumani passed down the stories that she learned from her mother to her own daughter Marina Pumani Brown and her niece Josina Pumani.
Maḻatja-maḻatja is a concept that deeply reflects the mission of the artists and the art center to support future generations of Aṉangu to continue to live and create on Country. The term means “those who come after” or “the next generation” and conveys an understanding that what the community does in the present already belongs to their children and grandchildren. In the words of artist Kunmanara (Willy Muntjantji) Martin, “It’s important that we hold our culture, our stories, our connection to Country strong for maḻatja-maḻatja—that’s why I make paintings.” This multigenerational group of artists make a bold claim about their enduring connection to Country in these prints. Their work is a strong expression of the connection between the past, the present, and the future at Mimili Maku Arts.
This exhibition runs in tandem with Tjukurpa | Handle It, an exhibition of multimedia works by Robert Fielding at the Kluge-Ruge Aboriginal Art Collection on view from June 26, 2025-January 11, 2026.
Mimili Maku Arts is a vibrant contemporary art studio and cultural center founded and governed by a strong board of Aṉangu directors. The art centre is located in Mimili Community on the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. The centre is a thriving cultural space, connecting cultural leaders from the community with the contemporary art world.
The mission of Mimili Maku Arts is to support future generations of Anangu to continue living on country while being able to access a culturally affirming income through artmaking. The studio is a space for artistic excellence, cultural celebration as well as a platform to tackle the many social challenges experienced by Aṉangu living on the APY Lands today.
The art center shares, “Whilst our core business is the creation of artwork, the income created through art sales enables us to follow the overarching vision of our Elders to educate the next generation of Aṉangu growing up on country, supporting continued cultural practices and knowledge of the land.”
Mimili is home to some of Australia’s most celebrated artists including Betty Kuntiwa Pumani, Tuppy Ngintja Goodwin, Robert Fielding and the late Kunmanara (Mumu Mike) Williams. Mimili artists are renown for distinctively experimental, culturally, and politically potent artforms. Many of them have been recognized in major art prizes, and their work has been acquired by institutions and art collectors in Australia and beyond.
“Mimili Maku Arts is a safe cultural space for and by Aṉangu.”-Mimili Maku Arts
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are warned that this website contains the names and images of deceased people.
