Spikey One 2023 by Indjalandji/Alyawarre artist, Shirley Macnamara, is a striking example of her woven guutu (vessel) forms. Macnamara gathers the lateral roots of the spiny spinifex plants and twines the strands into dense, tough, forms reminiscent of carved wooden vessels used in earlier times for gathering and storing bush foods.  

The artist sees the inherent strength and flexibility of spinifex and its strands as a potent metaphor for both Aboriginal peoples who have struggled resiliently, and as a reflection of her deep cultural and family connections. Macnamara strips the exterior off the runner roots that connect the spinifex clumps. Doing so reveals the internal colours, which change according to the season: a muted yellow in times of rain and red during periods of heat and drought. It was when her horse trampled a spinifex shrub that Macnamara first discovered the colours revealed within. 

In this artwork, Macnamara lines the woven spinifex with ashes and emu feathers, recalling the Country from where they grow and from where a powerful and cultural influence is exerted upon its final design. In particular, the artwork evokes the dry region surrounding Camooweal in far north-west Queensland. These vessels are formed out of a deep love the artist has for her Country and carry with them powerful, personal, and poignant memories, recollections, and family histories.