JANGANPA JUKURRPA (BUSH-TAIL POSSUM DREAMING) - MAWURRJI
JUDITH NUNGARRAYI MARTIN
JANGANPA JUKURRPA (BUSH-TAIL POSSUM DREAMING) - MAWURRJI, 2018
183 x 122 cm
Synthetic Polymer Paint on Belgian Linen
PROVENANCE
Yuendumu, NT
Warlukurlangu Artists, Yuendumu, NTCooee Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW
STORY
Janganpa Jukurrpa (common brush-tail possum [Trichosurus vulpecula] Dreaming) travels all over Warlpiri country. ā€�Janganpaā€™ are nocturnal animals that often nest in the hollows of white gum trees (ā€�wapunungkaā€™). This story comes from a big hill called Mawurrji, west of Yuendumu and north of Pikilyi (Vaughan Springs). A group of ā€�janganpaā€™ ancestors resided there. Every night they would go out in search of food. Their hunting trips took them to Wirlki and Wanapirdi, where they found ā€�pamaparduā€™ (flying ants). They journeyed on to Ngarlkirdipini looking for water. A Nampijinpa women was living at Mawurrji with her two daughters. She gave her daughters in marriage to a Jupurrurla ā€�janganpaā€™ but later decided to run away with them. The Jupurrurla angrily pursued the woman. He tracked them to Mawurrji where he killed them with a stone axe. Their bodies are now rocks at this place.Warlpiri people perform a young menā€™s initiation ceremony, which involves the Janganpa Jukurrpa. The Janganpa Jukurrpa belongs to Jakamarra/Jupurrurla men and Nakamarra/Napurrurla women. In Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent this Jukurrpa.ā€�Janganpaā€™ tracks are often represented as 'E' shaped figures and concentric circles are used to depict the trees in which the ā€�janganpaā€™ live, and also the sites at Mawurrji.
