Ngurra Ngayunku (my home) - David Brown Jangala

This painting by David Brown Jangala depicts Country south-west of Lake Mackay, near his ancestral homeland of Kiwirrkurra. Now based in Kununurra, far from this desert region, Brown uses painting as a way to return spiritually and emotionally to the land he belongs to. His detailed compositions draw on memory, kinship, and cultural knowledge, preserving the shape and story of specific sites through finely worked dotting and traditional iconography. The work acts as both map and memory, grounding the artist in his identity and responsibilities as a custodian of this Country.

“This is south west of Lake Mackay,” Brown explains. “Painting is a portal back to my country; so to stay connected and strong through remembering and painting these places in detail.” In the absence of physical presence, the act of painting becomes a powerful form of continuity—one that maintains ties to Country even across distance. Through this work, Brown affirms his connection to land, culture, and law, keeping them alive through visual practice.