Martagoolu, 2010, Jan Billycan
Acrylic on linen, 60cm x 60cm
Provenance: Short Street Gallery, Broome. Chapman Gallery, Canberra. The Alan Boxer Collection, Canberra. Mossgreen, Melbourne.
Jan Billycan is a respected medicine woman in Ilyarra country. As a medicine woman, she has had the ability of x-ray vision, which enabled her to see the cell-like compositions she produces in her works. Her country has jila (living water), including Karrparti, Kawarr, Jurntiwa and Wirrguj, and this area which she saw on her travels in the land. Jan says ‘in living water there is a quiet snake.’Sometimes he rises up, but we sing him down sometimes he can travel and bring rain. Ilyarra is my country Ilyarra, where I grew up. Lots of tali (sand dunes) and jilt in this country. This big dog country' (1).
Jan says ‘this is my country near Punmu in Western Australia. This shoes the waterholes Kawarr and Martagoolu. When I was a young girl, I walked around here with my mummy and daddy. We camped here and hunted for kuwi. It is a special place.’ (2).
Other works by this artist: