In Sitting here, thinking there, Adrian Jangala Robertson paints memories of family and his mother’s Country, Yalpirakinu.

Yalpirakinu is the Warlpiri way of referring to Yuelamu or Mt Allan Station, which lies just off the Tanami Road a few hours northwest of Mparntwe. Adrian’s practice gives breath to the vast colour ways of the Country he comes from, with the tilted composition of a number of his works giving the illusion that the paintings are moving, appearing as a series of stills from a memory. As a consummate colourist, Adrian’s intense, yet controlled brushwork embodies his enduring connection to Yalpirakinu.

In addition to and related to the subject of his homelands, Adrian also frequently paints portraits of his family. Figures of the artist’s familial love are usually placed inside the landscapes he vividly portrays, including his late father and founding Papunya Tula artist, Karpa(Kaapa) Jampitjinpa and sister, Julie Nangala Robertson, who is also a renowned artist working with the Warlukurlangu Artists in Yuendumu. In this exhibition, Karpa, unlike the rest of the works is set against a stark red backdrop and animates the depth of emotion portrayed within the contours of Adrian’s late father’s face. Similarly, Adrian’s work titled Julie, and much like his submission for the Archibald Art Prize in 2024, Jumpin’ Julie, Yuendumu, depicts his sister free spiritedly, adorned by her quirky white sunglasses and vibrant outfits.

Adrian’s upbringing surrounded by his family of artists, including his late mother Eunice Napangardi, as well as the Western Desert art movement has molded him into the distinctive artist he is today.

The beauty inherent to Adrian’s subject matter is that everything derives from memories. By way of the ever-changing trees, bush, mountain ranges, ridges, waterways and the occasional truck down a dirt road, Adrian articulates a relationship to place that makes his work so compelling. Similarly, Family in Yalpirakinu, a recurring title applied to many of Adrian’s works, has an airy, memory-like glaze to it. Adrian’s quiet, thoughtful nature is further evidence that much of his creative process involves weaving through memory before applying paint to canvas.

Sitting here, thinking there invites you to do as Adrian has and to take an introspective approach to the body of works he has created; to enter quietly into these memories of Country and family and simply think.

Written by Aspen Beattie for Adrian