The Language of Soaks

Corban Clause Williams is one of the most prominent emerging artists of the younger generation at Martumili Artists.

Born in Newman in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, he grew up surrounded by family, story and Country.

For Parrtjima, Corban’s installation is drawn from the painting Kaalpa (Kalypa, Canning Stock Route Well 23), which explores the network of soaks and waterholes that form the lifeblood of desert Country. Translated into a large-scale immersive installation, the work reflects the vital role of these hidden water sources in sustaining people, animals and culture over millennia.

More than a visual experience, the installation becomes a living map of movement, song and survival, inviting audiences to move through Country with care and to listen deeply to the stories held within water and land.