Tanya Bird Mpetyane and Keenan Bird Jangala / Men Hunting Kangaroo and Emu (TB68)

This artwork is a collaboration between Tanya Bird Mpetyane and her nephew, Keenan Bird Jangala, bringing together two generations of the Bird family and their shared connection to Country and culture.

Tanya Bird Mpetyane

Tanya Bird Mpetyane is an Anmatyerre woman born in 1981, with deep ties to the Utopia region of the Northern Territory.

Tanya comes from a celebrated family of artists. Her mother, Eileen Bird, is a respected painter, and her late father, Paddy Bird, was a talented artist known for his contributions to the Utopia art movement. Tanya’s sister, Alvira Bird Mpetyane, is also an accomplished artist, and together they continue the family’s artistic legacy.

A strong early influence on Tanya’s artistic journey was her late grandmother, Ada Bird Petyarre — one of the most prominent painters to emerge from Utopia. Tanya was extremely close to her grandmother, often sitting with her as she painted and learning by watching, listening, and absorbing the stories Ada shared. This deep bond helped shape Tanya’s understanding of culture, Country, and the power of art as a form of storytelling and connection.

Tanya paints traditional Anmatyerre Dreamings passed down through generations. Her work depicts themes such as Awelye (Women’s Ceremony) for Ahakeye (Bush Plum), Alpar (Rat-tail Plant), and Ntang Artety (Mulga Seed). These stories celebrate women’s knowledge, connection to the land, and the seasonal harvesting of bush foods and medicines.

In 2013, Tanya was selected as a finalist in the 30th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA), held at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin — a testament to the strength and cultural depth of her work.

Through her art, Tanya shares the richness of her heritage, translating ancient stories into contemporary works that reflect the enduring traditions of Utopia.

Tanya currently lives at Mulga Bore (Akaye Soakage), a small outstation in Utopia with her husband and children. Her artworks have been exhibited in group exhibitions and are held in private collections throughout Australia and internationally.

Keenan Bird Jangala

Keenan Bird Jangala is a young Eastern Arrernte artist from Mparntwe (Alice Springs), whose artistic heritage connects two significant Central Australian families.

Keenan is the son of artists Kevin Bird Mpetyane and Marie Ryder. Through his father, he is part of the Bird family of the Utopia region and the great-grandson of renowned Utopia artist Ada Bird Petyarre. His father Kevin is the brother of artist Tanya Bird Mpetyane, with whom Keenan also paints collaboratively.

On his mother’s side, Keenan is closely connected to the Eastern Arrernte Country around Santa Teresa (Ltyentye Apurte). His mother Marie Ryder and grandmother Therese Ryder are both accomplished artists, and their cultural knowledge and painting have been important influences on his development. Growing up between Alice Springs, Santa Teresa and Mulga Bore, Keenan was surrounded by artists and learned through watching the older generations of his family.

Keenan began painting as a teenager, initially exploring traditional men’s stories and imagery. As his practice has developed, his paintings have also drawn upon Country, bush foods, hunting, family and the movement of people through the landscape. Circular forms may represent gathering or meeting places, with pathways extending across Country, while plants, tracks, people and other motifs build the story around them.

His collaborations with his aunt Tanya bring together two generations of the Bird family. Their paintings combine Tanya’s knowledge and experience with Keenan’s developing artistic voice, creating richly detailed works that celebrate family, Country and the continuation of cultural knowledge from one generation to the next.

In this collaborative painting, Tanya Bird Mpetyane and Keenan Bird Jangala depict men travelling across Country to hunt kangaroo and emu. The artists use U-shaped symbols to represent the men, with boomerangs and hunting implements placed beside them, showing their role as hunters moving through the landscape.

Throughout the composition are the tracks and symbols of kangaroo and emu, revealing the animals’ presence and movement across Country. Circular forms represent waterholes or important places, while tracks and pathways describe the direction of travel and the search for game. The painting reflects the skill and knowledge involved in hunting, and the close understanding men have of animal tracks, movement and the landscape itself.