Sylvia Wilson: Wanti Yuu

Wanti Yuu (Woman Yeah!) is a powerful tribute to the women whose strength sustains Martu families, culture and Country. These works honour the matriarchs who carry the weight of community with quiet determination: boss ladies who teach, nurture, lead and preserve knowledge.

Working from Martumili Artists in the East Pilbara, Wilson quietly reimagines the possibilities of Indigenous Australian portraiture, privileging presence over realism and allowing personality, memory and spirit to coexist on the canvas. Central to Wilson’s work are the senior women of the pujiman (traditional, desert-dwelling) generation, particularly her great-grandmother, who continue to guide and shape her practice. Basket weaving, honey ant collecting, ceremonial knowledge and stories are passed down through generations by these women, ensuring that cultural knowledge remains active.

Martumili Artists supports artists across the communities of the East Pilbara, including Punmu, Parnngurr, Kunawarritji, Jigalong, Irrungadji (Nullagine) and Warralong. Martu artists and their families are the Traditional Custodians of vast stretches of the Great Sandy, Little Sandy and Gibson Deserts, as well as Karlamilyi (Rudall River) National Park.