Originally from the central Australian desert, Morris Gibson belongs to the Pintupi ethnic group, whose artists depict sites linked to the stories of the Tingari Men.

These Great Ancestors, who appeared in the early days of the creation of the Aboriginal world, are reputed to have travelled the Australian continent with their wives and young apprentices whom they were responsible for initiating.

At each of their stops in the desert, they created a sacred site around a waterhole or in a marshy area, like Kulkuta here, which is depicted in the centre of this canva. 

These sites, which still structure the real and mystical topography of the Aboriginal world, have become places of worship where the memory of the Tingari Men is honoured.

It is from these paintings that contemporary Aboriginal artists, like Morris Gibson, draw their inspiration, mapping the sites created by their mythical ancestors and for which they, as initiates, are responsible and guardians.

This religious duty is at the root of these painters' work: by evoking a particular sacred site, they not only honour it but also ensure its continued existence.