Mparntwe - a solo exhibition by Darcy Shilton
I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land I visited and captured for this
exhibition, the Arrerte people, and acknowledge the traditional owners of the land this exhibition
is being held on, the Wurungjeri people. All the actions that I undertook to put this exhibition
together occurred on stolen land. Sovereignty was never ceded.
Mparntwe is a series of landscape paintings and drawings exploring the natural country that
surrounds my home town of Mparntwe (Alice Springs). Accessing this ancient landscape and re-
accessing it through painting, drawing and photography was an important means for me to
explore and process trauma. Immersing myself in this brutal and stunning environment had a
profound healing effect. Being surrounded by the vastness of the land, to focusing on the minute
natural details offered me internal space from my pain. It gave me room to step away from it, to
assess it and eventually feel and process it. Many of the works explore these aspects ranging
from the expansive landscapes and open sky’s, to the focused detail of a single rock face, to the
abstracted details that are so fine they merge together to become a whole cohesive pattern.
I would also like to acknowledge that my connection to this land, despite its personal importance
to me, is insignificant when compared to the connection the traditional owners have to their
country. Their connection spans countless generations and has levels of complexity that I can
never understand.
All works have been created and framed from recycled materials.
30% of artwork sales will be donated to Women’s Safety Services of Central Australia
Supporting Darcy on Opening night are special musical guests Aunty Blue and Georgia Knight.
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