Janmarda Jukurrpa (Bush Onion Dreaming)

Details:

Catalog Number: 564/15ny

Story:

‘Janmarda’ (bush onion [Cyperus bulbosus]) are small bulbs found in the soft soils on the banks of sandy creeks. One of the main sites for this Jukurrpa is Purrupurru near Wakurlpa, to the north of Yuendumu. The custodians of that site and story are Napaljarri/Nungarrayi women and Japaljarri/Jungarrayi men. The women were collecting and cooking ‘janmarda’ when they saw an old Jungarrayi called Warungurla who had been traveling from the west. He was hiding in the bushes, watching the women and wanting to make love to them. He had an enormous ‘ngirnti’ (penis) that was long like a hose and that entered the ground and came up near to the women. They were frightened of him and tried to hide. When they saw his ‘ngirnti’ they beat it with their ‘karlangu’ (digging sticks), killing the old Jungarrayi, who can still be seen today in the form of a large stone figure at Purrupurru.

Bio:

Sarah Napurrurla White was born in 1969 in Alice Springs. She lived with her parents at Mission Creek but moved to Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community 290 km north-west of Alice Springs in the NT of Australia, when she was very young. She went to Yarara College in Alice Springs. She use to visit Yuendumu often and while staying with her family, she met Ben Jangala Gallagher whom she married. They now live in Nyirripi and have one daughter. Sarah has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu, since 2007. She learnt to paint by watching her Aunty, Long Maggie Nakamarra White, paint. Maggie White is a successful painter who paints for Warlukurlangu Artists still. It was from Maggie that Sarah learnt to paint her grandfather’s Jukurrpa; Warna Jukurrpa (Snake Dreaming), a sacred Jukurrpa. She also likes to paint Janmarda Jukurrpa (Bush Onion Dreaming) because she likes the designs and patterns. When she’s not painting Sarah works for the Age Care and Child Care. On weekends she loves to go hunting with the old people.

Artwork is accompanied by Warlukurlangu Artists (Yuendumu) Art Centre Certificate of Authenticity/Provenance.