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Tjanpi Desert Weavers

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Alice Springs, NT
Tjanpi Desert Weavers

Social Enterprise for Indigenous women from the NPY central desert region

Tjanpi Desert Weavers is a not-for-profit Indigenous social enterprise of Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women's Council. Out of a need for meaningful and appropriate employment, NPY members created Tjanpi to enable women on the lands to earn a regular income from selling their fibre art. Tjanpi (meaning ‘grass’) supports the production and marketing of baskets, sculptures and seed jewellery made by over 400 artists from 28 remote communities across three states - WA, NT and SA.

15/10/2026

Jennifer Forbes with her basket at a sunny skills & development workshop in Pipalyatjara 🌞

Jennifer was born in Pukatja (Ernabella) in the late 1950's and grew up in Amata where she attended school. Since then she has lived across the NPY Lands with her husband an family, including Papulankutja where she first began to paint and weave. Jennifer accredits Nyukana Baker, another accomplished Tjanpi artist, with teaching her how to weave. She enjoys making many beautiful baskets and sculptures - mainly papa (dog) and tjulpu (bird) as well as hand painting beads.

Photo by Kate Murphy.

11/10/2026

A beautiful new arrival online by Pinuka Yai Yai 🫒
Working from Mimili on the APY Lands, Pitjantjatjara artist Pinuka Yai Yai is known for her meticulous and distinctive weaving style. Her neat, methodical approach creates bold, eye-catching works with plenty of character.

This basket is available online now.
tjanpi.com.au/collections/new-arrivals

Image by Wendy Harris.

09/10/2026

Big smiles from Joanne Ken at Tjanpi skills & development workshop in Kaltjiti (Fregon) on the APY Lands ❤️🌾

It's full steam ahead at Tjanpi with artists busy making beautiful new artworks ready for the festive season!

Image by Alice Knight.

07/10/2026

It’s been a few weeks since these beauties landed at Desert Mob, but we’re still thinking about the bold, abstract works from our latest collection.

Titled 'Kutjulpingkatja Puru Kuwarringkatja (Making New Things from Old)', the seven sculptures are a brilliant example of Yarnangu innovation - taking what’s around and transforming it into something entirely new.

If you haven’t made it to see them yet, there’s still time! View in person at Araluen Arts Centre, Mparntwe (Alice Springs) or online at desertmob.com.au. All works are available to purchase.

Photo by Sara Maiorino, courtesy of Desart.

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02/10/2026

Vote for Tjanpi! 🥰✨️⁠
We were thrilled that Tricia Singer was selected from over 700 artist entries as finalists in the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize. Whilst her work titled 'Peacock' didn't take home the top prize (congratulations to the winners!), she now has a shot at the Viewers Choice Prize. Voting is open nation wide and we'd love your support!⁠
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Vote here > ⁠yoursay.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/sculpture-prize

28/09/2026

Happy Monday! Wildflower season is putting on a beautiful show across the desert, with pops of colour scattered amongst the red earth and tjanpi (desert grasses).

Don't forget to stop and smell the flowers this week 🌸

Photos by Jade Brockley along the Great Central and Wingellina Roads.

25/09/2026

Sylvanna Kenny's cheeky little papa has landed online! 🐶
⁠
Sylvanna lives in Pukatja (Ernabella), SA and just loves making Tjanpi creatures. She learned to weave Tjanpi as a young woman from her mother and other senior women in Pipalyatjara, including Mrs Atira Atira and Mrs Kenta whom she said was a wonderful and encouraging teachers. Today, she’s passing on those skills to her own daughter and other young women in Pukatja. ⁠

Visit tjanpi.com.au ✨️

Image by Wendy Harris.

24/09/2026

Tjanpi in Ireland! ☘️
This weekend, Tjanpi animations are making their way across the world to Misleór Festival of Nomadic Cultures in Galway, Ireland.

Our animation Tangki (Donkeys) will screen as part of Nomadic Shorts. Tangki tells the story of how donkeys came to be valued friends and helpers to families in Pukatja (Ernabella), through the voices of three generations of Anangu women. ❤️

We love seeing these stories travel far beyond the NPY Lands, carrying Anangu knowledge, humour and storytelling with them.

If you’re in Galway, you can catch Tangki at An Taibhdhearc Theatre this Friday 25 September at 7pm.

22/09/2026

Dreamed of owning a spectacular Tjanpi exhibition piece? Now is your chance!
For the first time, wall hangings from the Ngura Tjanpi (Grass Country) collection are available to purchase online. 🌾⁠
⁠
⁠Originally created by artists from Mimili Community for the 2024 Indian Ocean Craft Triennial, these works then went on to exhibit internationally at the Cheongju Craft Biennale before making their way back to the central desert.

The collection celebrates the shapes, forms, and tools of Country - from mina (bird nests) and piti (burrows) to kapi kartalpa (rock holes), tali (sand hills), and pitis (wooden carrying dish).

View online now 👉🏾 tjanpi.com.au/collections/wall-hangings

📷️ 677a/b-24 by Harriette Bryant and Pauline Minmila Wangin. Photo by Em Frank.

20/09/2026

Desert Mob Artist Spotlight: 🌟 Cynthia Nyungayla Burke 🌟⁠
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Cynthia is an artist belonging to the Ngaanyatjarra language and cultural group, and lives in the remote community of Warakurna in Western Australia.
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Cynthia first learnt to weave from her mother, the renowned artist and former Tjanpi staff member, Jean Burke (dec.). Today, she is an accomplished weaver, painter, media maker and mentor whose work has been exhibited across Australia and internationally.⁠

Cynthia's newest work 'Kutjulpingkatja Puru Kuwarringkatja (Making New Things from Old)' is available for acquisition at this years Desert Mob exhibition.

"We collected these metal frames from the metal yard, and my artwork used old wire netting that was used when making verandah shading. It was a different way of working for me: using something found to create a new Tjanpi work. It makes us see things differently when using found objects. I enjoyed it. I used hand-dyed raffia and commercial raffia to have bright and soft colours in the work. My inspiration was the sand dunes and hills surrounding Warakurna. "

👉🏾View Tjanpi's digital catalogue - desertmob.com/art-centres/tjanpi-desert-weavers/
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📅 until 25 October
📍 Mparntwe / Alice Springs⁠
Desert Mob is presented by Desart.

Photo by Jade Brockley.

Address

3 Wilkinson Street
Alice Springs, NT
0870

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+61889582377

Website

https://tjanpi.com.au/

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