Pilbara Elder's Art Travels 5,000km to Sydney Biennale

Wendy Hubert lives in Ngurrawaana, a remote West Australian community of 30 people that sits 1,600 kilometers north of Perth, accessible only by rocky dirt roads without signs. This weekend, her art debuts at the Biennale of Sydney, one of the country's most celebrated cultural events.

The journey itself tells a powerful story. A group of young Yindjibarndi rangers and family members spent 53 hours driving Hubert's artworks across Australia in a convoy of cars and trucks. They brought not just paintings, but pieces of home: rocks, date palms, red dirt, and ceremony gear.

Ngurrawaana means "a place of homecoming" in Yindjibarndi language. Founded in 1982 by respected elders, the community exists so Indigenous youth can be raised in their traditional culture on ancestral lands with secure title.

Hubert paints memories of being on country with her father and grandmothers. Her works depict both the challenges her people face from colonization and mining, and the beauty of their more than 50,000-year-old culture. She mainly paints trees because protecting country matters most to her.

"Here I am as an artist, I can teach a lot of things," Hubert said. She picked up painting in 2019, finding it helped her process past traumas while creating something meaningful for future generations.

The Ripple Effect

Lorraine Coppin, who runs the Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation working with over 30 Yindjibarndi artists, explains the road trip honored Nyinyart, a cultural principle of reciprocity. By bringing young rangers on the journey, elders pass down knowledge and strengthen connections between generations.

"You always give your time, your experience, your culture, your knowledge and the blessings will come back," Coppin said. The trip lets isolated Pilbara communities share their identity with eastern Australia, creating bridges between Yindjibarndi and Darug cultures.

Penrith Regional Gallery director Toby Chapman called Hubert the first Pilbara artist they've worked with. "That in itself is a really great honour for us," he said.

For Hubert, the milestone represents personal triumph and cultural preservation. "I'm doing my garden for my life, my life story," she said. Through art created on her homeland, she's become an artist working for herself while ensuring young people inherit the culture that sustains them.

The Biennale opens March 14, bringing Ngurrawaana's red dirt and ancient wisdom to Australia's biggest city.