Untitled, 2013, Tjawina Porter Nampitjinpa

Acrylic on canvas, 151cm x 122cm

Provenance: Yanda Aboriginal Art, Alice Springs.

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Tjawina Porter Nampitjinpa has been a life-long companion to her sisters Mrs Bennett, Nyurapayia Nampitjinpa, and Esther Giles Nampitjinpa, all established Western Desert artists. Like other desert artists who moved from their homelands, Tjawina Porter Nampitjinpa maintained a strong connection to her ancestral country around Docker River. Now living back at Docker River with her sister Esther Giles Nampitjinpa, Tjawina paints some of those important Dreaming sites from birthplace (1).

From the authenticity certificate: This painting depicts the activities associated with a location known as Punkilpirri. This is located near Tjawina’s homeland between Warakurna and Tjukurrla on the NT/WA borders. The symbols or icons are associated with the activities conducted at important water and ceremonial sites. Bush foods or ‘mai’ were prepared during ceremonial rituals. The mythological serpent ‘wanampi’ believed to have created all sources of water is depicted by the curving lines flowing throughout this painting. The representations of landforms such as ‘puli’ (rock or hills) and ‘tali’ (flat country depicted by the parallel lines) is associated with the physical and spiritual connection to the earth and can also be seen in decoration such as body scarifying, ground designs and incised wooden implements.