Munta (sacred in Paakantyi) is a view of the female form. The work emulates and challenges ‘objects of ethnography’ that depict Indigenous women and their bodies as something to be collected and studied, while stripping them of agency and silencing their voice. Munta seeks to dismantle this phenomenon and give voice to these women through reclamation of artistic intent usually misinterpreted as obscene, primitive folk art.
Munta strives to open discussion surrounding this often-ignored part of cultural study by reminding the audience of the nameless women seen posed in traditional garb, feigning engagement in some traditional activity. It brings attention to the notion that these women’s worth was measured by how pleasing they were the white male gaze; that their importance within an ethnographic and anthropological space was depending which famous white man’s collection they belonged to.
At its core, Munta represents sacredness; an expanding life journey; fertility; and celebration.