(NADA) were engaged by Prime Minster and Cabinet to create a design for their new building in Alice Springs with the brief to work with an artist from that region.

NADA worked with the Tangentyere Art Centre in Alice Springs to select an artist and artwork to be licensed for the project.

The chosen design was based on an original artwork by Marjorie Williams, called ‘Kwatja’.

The painting is about waterholes – Kwatja. The old people used to go out bush and drink water out of waterhole. That water is at Jay Creek. The lines indicate the direction the water moves between waterholes, and the circles are the waterholes. People need to know where the water is on their Country.

The story comes from the western Arrernte, as the waterholes Marjorie has painted pertain to that country

Marjorie was born in Alice Springs. Her mother was from Hermannsburg from the Driffen family. Her father was a Siddick, a Central Australian Afghan family. Marjorie married Brian Williams, a member of the Hermannsburg Williams family. He grew unwell and so the couple moved into Alice Springs so he could access medical support. He passed away in 2005, and Marjorie remained in Alice Springs.

She has four children, grandchildren and a great grandchild here in Alice Springs to keep her busy. Marjorie has painted for herself in the past after starting in Hermannsburg before moving to Alice Springs. She has also painted with Ngurratjuta Many Hands Art Centre before they dedicated themselves to watercolourists.

The painting is about waterholes – “Kwatja”… People need to know where the water is on their Country.

Marjorie Williams

Project Artist

MARJORIE WILLIAMS

Marjorie paints in a range of styles; figurative and abstract, with the imagery she paints strongly relating to her country, the country of her mother, Ntaria. many of Marjorie's artworks have strong graphic elements, and she paints about water, women's activities such as collecting water, and dancing, bush tucker species, particularly Echidna, memories from her early life spent between Iwupataka [Jay Creek Reserve] and Ntaria.