Marawa 2000

Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri made *Marawa* with paint on canvas, and what strikes me most is the rhythmic quality of the lines. It's like he's mapping something, maybe not a physical space, but a feeling or a memory. The texture looks smooth, almost like it's been combed into the surface. It's amazing how he keeps the lines so consistent. There is such beauty and order in the marks, even where they become more fluid. Look closely and you’ll see how the piece seems to breathe with the slight variations in the colour. It gives the artwork a kind of pulse. This kind of all-over composition reminds me a little of Agnes Martin, though Tjapaltjarri's work feels more grounded, more connected to the earth. Ultimately it's that openness that grabs me, the sense that there’s not one single way to read the painting.