Iluwanti Ken Walawuru ngunytju kukaku ananyi (Mother eagles going hunting)

‘Ngayulu kulini, I’m thinking about the Walawuru tjukurpa – the eagle story. Tjukurpa pulka – this is a big story, from my father’s Country at Alkara, near Watarru. This is my tjukurpa and all of my children’s tjukurpa too.’

Iluwanti Ken says the eagle is the number-one hunter. Depicted mid-flight, the predator dives headlong towards her prey with laser-like focus. Ken says that even in the moment of the hunt, when the bird is outwardly absorbed in her target, the mother eagle is thinking only of her family, who are at home waiting for something to eat. To this end, Ken believes that eagles offer important lessons about caring for one’s family.

Iluwanti Ken and Tjala Arts, 2023