MITJILI NAPURRULA - WATIYA-TJUTA
MITJILI NAPURRULA
WATIYA-TJUTA, 2001
183 x 305 cm
Synthetic polymer on Belgian linen
REGION
Haasts Bluff, NT
PROVENANCE
Private Collection
Cooee Art Leven, Sydney, NSW
STORY
The painting depicts four significant elements referring to Uwalki Country - around Ikuntji (Haasts Bluff) west of Alice Springs in Central Australia.
Significant depiction's are:
- Watiya tjuta (trees)
- Sand hills and rocks
The Aboriginal men use the wood from the watiya tjuta (trees) to hand carve spears, artefacts and ceremonial objects associated with men's business.
Mitjili's paintings followed the style of the artists from Papunya. On returning to Haasts Bluff she commenced painting in 1992 for the Ikuntji Women's Centre. She soon developed her own style drawing on her father's Dreaming Uwalki, which is the story of the spear straightening ceremony taught to Mitjili by her mother.
ARTIST PROFILE