This pot is a group self-portrait of the Hermannsburg Potters, a collective of highly respected senior women artists of the Western Arrarnta (Arrernte) community. Through their vibrant hand-built, hand-painted terracotta pots, they tell stories of the local wildlife, Country and everyday life, reflecting their cultural beliefs and traditions. Although each of the artists has an individual style and approach, for this commission they worked together to create a self-portrait. The potters themselves are pictured on the sides of the pot, represented by their totem. Clara Ngala Inkamala, for example, is represented with an emu and chicks.
Ntaria (Hermannsburg) is a former Lutheran mission located 130 km west of Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in the Northern Territory. Hermannsburg Potters was established in 1990 several years after the land was returned to the traditional Arrarnta owners. Since then, Hermannsburg Potters has thrived, becoming a source of revenue for the community and an important form of traditional and contemporary expression for the local people. Hermannsburg pots have been widely exhibited and represented in national and international collections.
Commissioned 2009
© Hermannsburg Potters Aboriginal Corporation
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