Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming) - Puyurru, 5445/16 (M)

The site depicted in this painting is Puyurru, west of Yuendumu.
In the usually dry creek beds are ‘mulju’ (soakages), or
naturally occurring wells. The 'kirda' (owners) for this site are
Nangala/Nampijinpa women and Jangala/Jampijinpa men. Two
Jangala men, rainmakers, sang the rain, unleashing a giant
storm. The storm travelled across the country from the east to
the west, initially travelling with a ‘pamapardu Jukurrpa’
(termite Dreaming) from Warntungurru to Warlura, a
waterhole 8 miles east of Yuendumu. At Warlura, a gecko called
Yumariyumari blew the storm on to Lapurrukurra and Wilpiri.
Bolts of lightning shot out at Wirnpa (also called
Mardinymardinypa) and at Kanaralji. At this point the
Dreaming track also includes the ‘kurdukurdu mangkurdu
Jukurrpa’ (children of the clouds Dreaming). The water
Dreaming built hills at Ngamangama using baby clouds and
also stuck long pointy clouds into the ground at Jukajuka,
where they can still be seen today as rock formations.
The termite Dreaming eventually continued west to Nyirripi, a
community approximately 160 km west of Yuendumu. The
water Dreaming then travelled from the south over Mikanji, a
watercourse with soakages northwest of Yuendumu. At Mikanji,
the storm was picked up by a ‘kirrkarlanji’ (brown falcon [Falco
berigora]) and taken farther north. At Puyurru, the falcon dug
up a giant ‘warnayarra’ (rainbow serpent). The serpent carried
water with it to create another large lake, Jillyiumpa, close to an
outstation in this country. The ‘kirda’ (owners) of this story are
Jangala men and Nangala women. After stopping at Puyurru,
the water Dreaming travelled on through other locations
including Yalyarilalku, Mikilyparnta, Katalpi, Lungkardajarra,
Jirawarnpa, Kamira, Yurrunjuku, and Jikaya before moving on
into Gurindji country to the north.
In contemporary Warlpiri paintings, traditional iconography is
used to represent the ‘Jukurrpa’ (Dreaming). Short dashes are
often used to represent ‘mangkurdu’ (cumulus & stratocumulus
clouds), and longer, flowing lines represent ‘ngawarra’ (flood
waters). Small circles are used to depict ‘mulju’ (soakages) and
river bed.

This painting needs to be framed or stretched. It’s also being sent direct from the artist at a remote art centre, Warlukurlangu Artists, in the NT desert. Please note there is only one mail plane a week that takes the artwork to Alice Springs. The tracking information is then received a week later when the mail plane returns so often the paintings are delivered before we receive the tracking information. Please expect a slightly longer wait for this very special artwork to arrive.

Follow

“I learnt to paint by watching my mother, my sisters and my grandmother paint.” Athena Nangala Granites was born in 1994 in Alice Springs Hospital, the closest hospital to Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community 290 km from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. She has lived most of her life in Yuendumu, attending the local school and graduating from Senior Girls Upper School in 2009. Since leaving school she has gained work experience working in the office at Mt Theo, a program that provides comprehensive training in youth development and leadership. She has also married Sebastian Jupurrurla Wilson and they have one son, “little Henry Peterson Wilson”. Athena enjoys being Mum to little Henry. Although young, Athena comes from a long line of artists. She is the daughter of Geraldine Napangardi Granites and the grand-daughter of Alma Nungarrayi Granites, well-known artists who paint with Warlukurlangu Artists. She is also the great grand-daughter of Paddy Japaljarri Sims (Deceased) one of the founding artists of Warlukurlangu Artists. Athena has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu, since 2010. She paints Jukurrpa from her father’s side (Ngapa Jukurrpa – Water Dreaming) and her mother’s side (Ngalyipi Jukurrpa – Snake Vine Dreaming and Yanjirlpirri Jukurrpa – Seven Sisters Dreaming), stories which relate directly to her land, its features and the plants and animals that inhabit it. Athena uses an unrestricted palette to develop a modern interpretation of her traditional culture. When Athena is not painting and when the rain comes and it is cooler she likes to go hunting with her family for Honey Ants, Bush Banana, Goanna and Kangaroo.