Current Artist's Note

Sam Juparulla Wickman

Front Cover Art

Seven Sisters & the Morning Star 2005

Glass set in cast aluminium, powder coated in onyx black
1500 x 150 x 310mm, 500 x 150 x 315mm

Sam Juparulla Wickman
Sam Juparulla Wickman was born in Alice Springs in 1952, the traditional country of his Father, the Arrernte Nation of Central Australia. Sam’s Aboriginality comes from both his mother and his Father. His Mother was a full Ceremonial woman of the Luritja, Pitjantatjarra, Yankuntjatjarra people south of Alice Springs. Sam's Father was an Arrernte and Luritja man with strong roots to Mbarntu Country (Alice Springs).
Sam also has strong links to the Warlpiri Nation through his ceremony obligations. He is a Wati (fully initiated man) from Central Australia, and his art reflects this.
Sam has been working with glass since the year 2000 and is recognised as a leader in this medium demonstrating that Aboriginal art is not static and that his culture is very much alive. His interest in glass stemmed from a research paper he completed "Glass in the Aboriginal tool kit" referring to the manufacture of glass tools.
                         
The glass art of Sam Juparulla contains images of sacred men’s business ceremony from in and around the MacDonald Ranges of Central Australia. The ranges stretch across central Australia like a huge boomerang for over four hundred miles and are the home place of many Ancestral and Dreamtime (Jukurrpa) sites.
He is a founding member of Australia’s leading Indigenous art glass studio, Bonegilla Glass, with partners Paul Sanders and Summer Matthews. Sam is recognised as one of Australia’s leading emerging Indigenous artists and has already seen his work sought after by both glass and Aboriginal art collections including Sydney City Council and Aboriginal Affairs Victoria as well as many other overseas and Australian private collections.

Other works by Sam Juparulla Wickman

Wulu Pooku Clay Pan 2005

Paint infused kiln glass185mm (w) x 350mm (h) x 85mm (d)

Wulu Pooku Coolamon 2005

Paint infused kiln glass

MacDonnell Ranges - Glass Coolamon 2006

Kiln formed glass with hand painted infused enamel 200 x 600mm

Euro - Glass Coolamon 2006

Kiln formed glass with hand painted infused enamel 200 x 600mm

Wulu Pooku Totem Pole 2005

Paint infused kiln glass 185mm (w) x 350mm (h) x 85mm (d)

Wulu Pooku Shield 2005

Paint infused kiln glass on metal stand 85mm x 500mm