Karnta Jukurroa (Womens Dreaming) - 86/23ny (M)

This painting depicts Nakamarra and Napurrurla women hunting for bush foods. The 'kirda' (owners) for this story are Nakamarra/Napurruria women and Jakamarra/Jupurrurla men. Yumurrpa and Wapurtali are two major Dreaming sites owned by the Nakamarra/Jakamarra and Napurruria/Jupurruria subsections; these sites are also associated with bush food Dreamings. Yumurra is a major waterhole to the northwest of Yuendumu and a 'yarla' (bush potato [Ipomea costata]) Dreaming site.
The area north of Wapurtali/intaramurru(Mt. Singleton) is a 'wanaki' (bush tomato (Solanum chippendalei]) Dreaming site.
Waripiri women hunt for a number of different bush foods at different times of the year. These include 'ngarlkirdi' (witchetty grubs [Endoxyla leucomochla larvae]), 'yunkaranyi' (honey ants [Camponotus inflatus]),
'jintiparnta' and 'purlantarri* (desert truffle [Elderia arenivaga]), 'yuparli (bush bananas [Marsdenia australis]), 'janmarda' (bush onions [Cyprus bulbosus]), 'pirlala' (bush beans [Acacia coriacea seeds]), 'ngarlajiyi* (bush carrots (Vigna lanceolata]), wayipi' (small bush carrots [Boerhavia diffusa]), and 'yakajirri' (bush raisins [Solanum centrale]). Women traditionally dug for these foods using wooden 'karlangu' (digging sticks).
The end of the digging sticks were charred and ground on a stone surface to create a bevelled edge. Today many Warlpiri women use crowbars (also called 'karlangu') to dig for bush foods. Collected bush foods are traditionally carried in 'parraja' (coolamons), which can be carried with a strap made from the 'ngalyipi' (snake vine [Tinospora smilacina]).
In Warlpiri paintings, traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa and other elements. Concentric circles are often used to represent the bush foods that the women have collected, while straight lines can be used to depict the 'karlangu' (digging sticks). Sinuous lines are often used to represent the 'ngalyipi' (snake vine).

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Christine Nakamarra Curtis was born in Alice Spring Hospital, the closest hospital to Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community 290 km north-west of Alice Springs. She was born into a family of artists, which include Kelly Napanangka Michaels, her mother, Roy Jupurrurla Curtis, her father and Alice Nampijinpa Henwood Michaels, her Aunty. She is the eldest of 7 sisters and spent most of her childhood at Nyirripi, a remote Aboriginal community located 150 km north-west of Yuendumu. She attended her local school, then Yirara College, an Aboriginal boarding college in Alice Springs. Christine continued her studies at Kormilda College, an Aboriginal boarding college in Darwin. When she finished schooling she returned to Nyirripi where she worked in the store. “I love the place. I grew up here – learning from the old people.” Christine began painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu, in 2007. Warlukurlangu Artists provides an outlet for Warlpiri artists to paint their cultural heritage and earn income from their work. This service is extended to Nyirripi artists, on a weekly basis, by delivering canvas and paint to artists and picking up finished artwork. Christine paints her grandparent’s dreaming on her mother’s side, Dreamings which relate directly to her land, its features and the plants and animals that inhabit it. These stories have been passed down for millennia. “I like the patterns and all those colours, and the stories. Watching family painting, they show you the dreaming.” Christine uses an unrestricted palette to develop a modern interpretation of her traditional culture. Christine has two sons, Navarone and Mahela, who attend the local school in Nyirripi. When Christine is not painting she likes to take them hunting for bush tucker and goanna.