Hermannsburg Potters shaping pottery and lives

The Arrente women of central Australia have long been gifted artists, so when a pottery teacher visited Ntaria (Hermannsburg) in 1990 the women found clay to be the perfect outlet for their artistic tendencies and cultural beliefs.

Soon after, some space was found for an art centre and the Hermannsburg Potters have become an important part of the Australian art scene.

Judith Inkamala is one of Ntaria’s senior artists and chair of the Hermannsburg Potters Aboriginal Corporation. She says that pottery plays a key role in the life of many women in the community.

“We sit around talking as we make our pots, with the younger ones learning from the older ladies about pottery and life,” Judith said. “And because the centre is women’s only, the ladies feel comfortable talking about important issues.”

Judith got her start in pottery when some senior ladies invited her to join the Hermannsburg Potters and while her first efforts were forgettable, she persevered.    

“I learnt from the other ladies, rather than from books. The ladies saw I was working really hard on my pots and encouraged me, showing how they scraped the clay and then painted the pot. Now I like helping the younger ladies and I’m proud when they complete their pots,” Judith said.

Judith says that pottery fits in with the life of the women at the centre, especially as it allows them to express their culture.

“When we think about a pot’s design, we look around and gain inspiration from the country around us; people walking down by the river, the stories my parents told me, animals like black cockatoos, lizards and other bush tucker,” Judith said.

Judith, who as a young girl was inspired by watching Albert Namitjira paint, actively encourages the young women of Ntaria to take up pottery.

“We invite the younger women to join us and go into the school and teach the little kids pottery and we encourage them to just get a small bit of clay and feel it in your hands. That’s the way I started,” she said.