Barkly Artists celebrate culture and art at Desert Mob 2022

From the 8th – 11th of September, Epenarra artists Annette Nungala, Jessie Beasley, Rita Beasley, Dalery Brett, and Tartukula artists Heather Anderson, Lindy Brodie, and Michelle Brodie traveled from Wutungurra and Tennant Creek respectively to represent the Artists of the Barkly at the opening of Desert Mob in Mparntwe, Alice Springs.

Now in its 31st year, Desert Mob celebrates the contemporary Aboriginal art movement from Central Australia whilst serving as an essential gathering for artists, families, and visitors facilitating cultural exchange and sharing.

Ten works by members of Artists of the Barkly from Wutunugurra and Tennant Creek are included in Desert Mob 2022. The Collective’s showing brought an explosion of colour to the exhibition with a series of vivid landscapes which celebrate the symbiosis between cultural knowledge and Country.

Rita Beasley admiring Artists of the Barkly’s exhibited works

Desert Mob offers an opportunity for art centres to exhibit their works within the broader context of Central Australian art. The exhibition forges a dialogue between groups of artists working in often isolated art centres across hundreds of thousands of square kilometres. In doing so, it celebrates the diversity of Aboriginal art originating from the Red Centre and highlights the cultural significance of creative practices.

Whilst in Alice Springs, the Artists of the Barkly took the opportunity to attend other exhibitions and openings that were taking place across town. Most notably, the Artists of the Barkly participated in Desert Mob Marketplace alongside a number of other art centres. The Marketplace saw record attendance, leading to record sales for the Collective, whose work captured the imagination of visitors from all over the country and the world.

View and purchase works in Desert Mob here.