Warna Jukurrpa (Snake Dreaming) - 1265/23 (M)

This artwork will be on display at the exhibition 'Echoes of Tradition' at Bluethumb's Melbourne gallery from June 28th - August 14th.

The place depicted in this painting, Nama, is located south of
Yuendumu in the Northern Territory. This Dreaming belongs to
Nakamarra/Napurrurla women and Jakamarra/Jupurrurla men. This
story describes the journey of Yarripiri, an ancestral warna' (snake). He
travelled from Wirnparrku near Mt. Liebig to Yimparlu, and continued its
way through the territories of Ngapanangka-jarra, Warlajirryi,
Kurnmundu, Yinyirrinyi on to Nama. Later Yarripiri travelled further
north via Mijirlparnta (Mission Creek) and right through to the top end of
Australia. Yarripiri was very sad as his family had left him behind at
Wirnparrku. He was blind and crippled but he was determined to follow
and search them out. He had to be carried. This was the job undertaken
by the 'kurdungurlu' (ceremonial police) of the Dreaming: the
Nangala/Nampijinpa women and Jangala/Jampijinpa men. Where
Yarripiri's tail slumped and touched the ground creeks were formed,
such as Mijirlparnta, west of Yuendumu. Yarripiri tracks and paths are
often represented by arc shapes or curved lines depicted across the
canvas.

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Patricia Nakamarra Olfield was born in 1982 in Alice Springs Hospital, the closest hospital to Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community 290 km north-west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. She has lived in Yuendumu most of her life. She is the daughter of two Warlukurlangu painters. Patricia is married to Sebastian Jangala Roberston and both of them are very active and positive members of the art centre. They have no children but have adopted a small boy called Favian who they look after. Patricia finished Primary School at Yuendumu High School and then left to get married. Both she and her husband are actively involved with the Mt Theo Program, in particular the Jaru Pirrjirdi Youth Development, which incorporates the Yuendumu Youth Program. Patricia has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu, since 2001. She paints stories that are closely associated with her traditional country. Her main story is Warna Jukurrpa (Snake Dreaming), Dreamings that have been passed down to her from her father and his father’s father for millennia.