Atipalku Intjalki has made the same journey to Ernabella Arts in Pukatja, on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands of South Australia, for more than 50 years. It’s a short walk from home, but one that has become a lifelong ritual – one where memory, Country and culture are transformed into vibrant works of art.
“It’s in my community,” she says. “It’s been working for a long time. The art centre is still going well. It’s a nice building to work in.”Now, for the first time, these artworks are being worn.
Atipalku is the latest artist to collaborate with Specsavers on a limited-edition eyewear collection supporting The Fred Hollows Foundation’s Indigenous Australia Program.
Marking 15 years of partnership between the organisations, the collection celebrates Indigenous storytelling while helping fund vital eye care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Atipalku’s artwork featured across the frames, Tjukurpa Mulayangu, tells the story of her father’s Country in the western APY Lands, where Mulayangu, a wanampi (water snake), travelled across the landscape, creating the rock holes that continue to sustain life today.
“I do it because I think of my father’s Country,” Atipalku says. That connection to place is all around her. “I make my work inside the art centre, and when I walk out … I see the children and everyone else. Looking at the people, I also look around at the Country as well. I am connected,” she says.
That sense of continuity makes this collaboration particularly meaningful. Rather than simply showcasing Indigenous art, the collection invites people to literally see the world through Atipalku’s stories, while contributing to better eye health outcomes.
Twenty-five dollars from every pair sold will support The Fred Hollows Foundation’s Indigenous Australia Program, which provides culturally responsive eye care across Australia. The launch also comes at a milestone moment for Indigenous eye health.
Earlier this year, Australia was officially recognised by the World Health Organization for eliminating trachoma as a public health problem, a disease that disproportionately affected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities for generations. As for Atipalku, the greatest achievement isn’t seeing her work on a pair of glasses; it’s knowing the stories will travel.
“It’s really lovely,” she says. “I’m happy that my family can see it.” And she hopes everyone else sees something too. “I hope they say rikina (awesome)! I hope they think it’s a really nice walka (design).” She pauses before explaining what matters most: “I want the adults and children to see the work I made and the stories I’m telling.”
Specsavers acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we live and work and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship with the land, waterways and seas, and we acknowledge their continuing contribution to our national identity.
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