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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Lifestyle
Tory Shepherd

‘Beginnings got lost’: fabled Aboriginal art on show 40 years after disappearance

Balgo artists with John Carty in their South Australian Museum exhibition
‘Now everyone can see where the Balgo story started’: Balgo artists with John Carty at the South Australian Museum exhibition. Photograph: Brad Griffin

Balgo is Country for all of us now. We were all born here, these generations here today. We are Wirrimanu kids. We belong to Balgo. That’s what we paint. That’s why we paint. This is our story.”
– Warlayirti artist Eva Nagomarra

John Carty opened his email and downloaded the images. They were photos of paintings, found in a shipping container somewhere in the Kimberley. They were muddy and water damaged, but recognisable.

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