08/10/2026
Kuwaritja – New/Fresh presents the work of two emerging Iwantja artists, Wesley Wh***ey and Johnny Ulah. Working side by side in the Iwantja studio, the two men have developed their respective bodies of work concurrently, supporting and encouraging one another with dynamic conversation about the contemporary world, drawing upon Country, Tjukurpa, popular culture and lived experience to create work that is distinctive, inventive and continually evolving. Kuwaritja, meaning new or fresh, introduces two new voices within this continuum.
Formally, Wesley and Johnny’s paintings could hardly be more different. Yet both understand their practices as part of a longer lineage of strong and diverse Iwantja work, established by pioneering artists including Wh***ey Tjukangku (Wesley’s grandfather), Peter Mungkuri, Alec Baker and Jimmy Pompey. Their emergence together speaks to the way artistic knowledge at Iwantja is continually carried forward, not through repetition, but through new voices, experiences and ways of seeing.
Kuwaritja – New/Fresh brings these two artists together at the beginning of their painting careers. Both are storytellers, and both draw upon the strength and knowledge of Anangu culture from distinctly different positions. Seen side by side, their works celebrate its breadth and resilience - grounded in Country and cultural knowledge, while remaining open, inventive and alive to the contemporary world.
