Polly Pawuya Butler-Jackson, Bush Tucker. 2020. 500mm x 500mm. Acrylic on cardboard. Warakurna Artists. (#103-20)

Polly Pawuya Butler was born at a soak called Yulpigari, close to Pangkupirri (Bunglebiddy) rockhole. As a child she travelled on foot with her family around the Tjukurla, Warakurna, Kurlail and Docker River area. Her younger sister was born at the site of the Giles Weather Station. She remembers fondly her Father telling the children stories of 'early days' people. Polly attended Warburton Mission School as a young girl and lived in the mission camp with her family. Polly was a successful student and completed her secondary education at Pink Lake High School in Esperance. Upon completing high school Polly went back to Warburton to live. She was married and moved to the newly established Warakurna homeland with her husband in 1976. Polly worked in the first school in Warakurna, a tin shed in the middle on the community. She has raised her children in Warakurna and still lives there today along with her children and five grandchildren. Polly has been painting with Warakurna Artists since 2006 and has previously served as a member of the Warakurna Artists Executive Committee. She also works with Tjanpi Desert Weavers creating baskets and grass sculpture and with Maruku Arts crafting purnu artefacts.

Polly’s bush tucker design was reproduced as a tee in 2017 and remained a staple in the streetwear collection for its didactic qualities. Kampurarrpa is a bush tomato, which grows on the side of the road and out bush in the hot, wetter months. The Ngari is the Ngaanyatjarra word for honey ant; a sweet delicacy usually found in the colder winter months. Maku is the Ngaanyatjarra word for witchety grub. All of these food sources are found on the lands and Polly regularly goes out on country with her family to hunt and forage these nutrient-rich foods.

The Ngurra Streetwear Project was initiated in 2014 in response to artists and directors request to design fashion within the community. Working with graphic designer, Jack Searls, each year we host a week-long intensive design workshop to create aesthetic elements that are new and original. Participants use paint, textas and photography to create a host of imagery from around the community, which are then workshopped to create the best images for screen printing as well as creating a design direction for the overall project.

The workshops include photography, collage and digital manipulation using design software. Participants then made the final designs print ready and worked out costing, sizes and market development.