Wanakiji Jukurrpa (Bush Tomato Dreaming) 1410/21ny (M)

The Wanakiji Jukurrpa (bush tomato [Solanum chippendalei] Dreaming) travels through Yaturlu (near Mount Theo, north of Yuendumu). “Wanakiji” grows in open spinifex country and is a small, prickly plant with purple flowers that bears green fleshy fruit with many small black seeds. After collecting the fruit the seeds are removed with a small wooden spoon called ‘kajalarra’. The fruit then can be eaten raw or threaded onto skewers called ‘turlturrpa’ and then cooked over a fire. ‘Wanakiji’ can also be skewered and left to dry. When they are prepared in this way it is called ‘turlturrpa’ and the fruit can be kept for a long time. In contemporary Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, particular sites and other elements. The Wanakiji Jukurrpa belongs to Napanangka/Napangardi women and Japanangka/Japangardi men.

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Charlene Napanangka Marshall was born at Alice Springs Hospital in 1990 and grew up in the remote community of Nyirripi. She attended school in Nyirripi and Alice Springs, along with Year 10 at boarding school in Darwin where she remembers making friends with other students from all over the Northern Territory. At the age of 15 she began working at the childcare centre in Nyirripi, and since then regularly works at the school. She and her husband have two children and numerous dogs and cats. Charlene grew up watching her aunt Eunice Napangardi, a well-known artist, paint Yuparli (bush banana) dreamings. Since her auntie’s death in 2005, Charlene has been inspired to paint and carry on the tradition within her family. “My kids like my paintings, they like the colours”. Charlene paints Wanakiji Jukurrpa (Bush Tomato Dreaming), Yuparli Dreaming (Bush Banana Dreaming), and Karnta Jukurrpa (Women’s Dreaming). In her spare time Charlene like to keep the house tidy, watch movies, play with her children and pet animals, and sometimes go on holiday to the beach at Darwin.