With “Marungka tjalatjunu (Dipped in black)”, photographer Matthew Thorne documents the poignant journey of Derik Lynch, a queer Yankunytjatjara man, as he embarks on a road trip back to his ancestral country for spiritual healing. This autobiographical series explores Derik's memories of growing up in a remote Anangu community, delving into the profound intersections of his identity across four cultural worlds – whitefella, blackfella, Christian, and Queer.

Photography Matthew Thorne

This photographic series follows his journey from the oppression of white city life in Adelaide, back home to his remote Anangu Community Aputula to perform on sacred Inma ground.

Inma is a traditional form of storytelling using the visual, verbal, and physical—it is how Anangu Tjukurpa (story connected to country / dreaming / myth / lore) have been passed down for over 60,000+ years from generation to generation.

Through Derik’s unique and significant journey, the series celebrates a life lived across four cultural worlds, the whitefella world, the blackfella world, the Christian world, and the Queer world. His story sits at a unique intersection space in which Queer identity, performance, modern western culture, and Anangu Culture come together and are transformed into a uniquely powerful healing ritual through his life and story. “You go back to your own Country because that’s where you belong. It’s where your spirit feels strong. Connected.”

“You go back to your own Country because that’s where you belong. It’s where your spirit feels strong. Connected.”

“Inma is a traditional form of storytelling using the visual, verbal, and physical—it is how Anangu Tjukurpa (story connected to country / dreaming / myth / lore) have been passed down for over 60,000+ years from generation to generation.”

About Matthew

Matthew Thorne was born in 1993 in Adelaide, South Australia. A landscape of asphalt roadways, neatly manicured colonialism, and industrial flats cut through sacred land.

Matthew’s work draws from the spiritual, surreal landscape of Australia and focuses on people, their relationship to their community, their land, their rituals, and their work.

Matthew is currently living and working between Berlin, Germany & Australia.

To see more of his work, visit his website or follow him on Instagram

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Marungka Tjalatjunu (dipped in black)

“You go back to your own Country because that’s where you belong. It’s where your spirit feels strong. Connected.”

“Inma is a traditional form of storytelling using the visual, verbal, and physical—it is how Anangu Tjukurpa (story connected to country / dreaming / myth / lore) have been passed down for over 60,000+ years from generation to generation.”

READ NEXT

BIFRÖST

LIGHT/MASS