The Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Art Collective is a beautiful story of Australia’s first nation community coming together through art. The collective is spread across 100,000 square kilometres of APY Lands in remote Central Australia, with its ten indigenous owned and governed centres the heartbeats of their local communities. It’s a beautiful way in which they are keeping their cultures alive for future generations. A culture whose stories and ancient wisdom are written in the land, holding great significance to the water that guides us and the mountains that watch over us. Their works generously provide us with a unique glimpse into the oldest living culture in the world and the values close to its people. The emotion evoked from their works of art is often hard to explain. You can feel the wisdom and love transcend the brush strokes, tapestries and sculptures. 

Like many cultures throughout history, Australia’s First Nation artworks serve as a visual language to ensure their cultural stories and traditions continue to live. In fact, with no written language, symbols were deep in visual iconography — an alternate way to document and ensure cultural stories pass through generations. Traditionally paintings were drawn onto rock walls, ceremonial articles or even as body paint — hidden from western influence. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that they started to share their brush strokes on canvases with the world. A missionary school teacher, Geoffrey Bardon, worked with Papunya elders to ensure their visual stories continued to live. Together, they sought to preserve the culture by working with more permanent mediums and carefully considering stories that should be shared and which shall remain secret. Today, the paintings merge physical and spiritual landscapes, with each region having its distinct style and stories. 

Over time the Australian Aboriginal Art movement flourished, as did the exploitation of their craft and traditions. For years (and still today), many private dealers have exploited first nation communities, profiteering from their stories, artistry and culture. With no transparency of remuneration to artists or commitment to uplifting indigenous communities required, the commercial interests of individual business operators can lead to exploitative practices. Of course, while this isn’t the practice of all, it does pose a broader question around fake stories of provenance in the artisan economy. Frequently the narratives that often help sell these products feel detached from the people who produced the very objects. Even if declared fair-trade, the market tends to be controlled by middlemen, who often retain most of the selling price. So, what is the answer? Could artisan-run collectives that empower the makers at every stage, from design to distribution signal a better way forward.

Moving toward Direct Trade *Modelled from The Anou Collective

For the artisan community to survive, the businesses profiting from these communities need to be pushing culture forward. But, who else is better able to do this than the communities themselves? The APY Art Collective brought to life by indigenous elders, operates as a not-for-profit organisation with one shared vision, offering complete financial transparency and investing resources, education and funds where needed most to vulnerable communities on APY Lands. According to Nyurpaya Kaika Burton, “Anangu have a right to own their own business, to manage it and run it every day as we choose. It is time for Aboriginal people to own a larger share in our Industry.” For people on APY Lands, art is the main economic driver of communities and the only form of meaningful employment used to impact the dire social challenges of their first nation communities caused by intergenerational trauma. Higher rates of substance abuse, health issues, family violence, suicide and incarceration plague their communities — but the elders are banding together to create a better future for their children and future generations. 

Today, the APY Art Movement is renowned internationally and supports over 500+ young Anangu artists across the region. With galleries in Sydney and Adelaide, the works come to life, showcase the artistry and stories of their people and culture. The artworks that radiate through their collections are colourful, powerful and ethereal, with younger generations adopting and interpreting the knowledge passed down in new ways. The APY Art Collective is a brilliant example of how we can move beyond fair trade to unlock the power of direct trade, to foster authentic stories of provenance while allowing different cultures, narratives and places to thrive.