Karen Napaljarri Barnes, Ngatijirri Jukurrpa (Budgerigar Dreaming), 107x61cm

• Aboriginal Artist - Karen Napaljarri Barnes
• Community - Yuendumu
• Aboriginal Art Centre - Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation
• Catalogue number - 3860/24
• Materials - Acrylic on linen
• Size(cm) - H107 W61 D2
• Postage variants - Artwork is posted un-stretched and rolled for safe shipping
• Orientation - As displayed 

The Jukurrpa site shown in this painting for Ngatijirri (budgerigar [Melopsittacus undulates]) is at Yangarnmpi, south of Yuendumu. ‘Ngatijirri’ are small, bright green birds native to central Australia which are common around the Yuendumu area, especially after the summer rains. Men would hunt for ‘ngatijirri’ nests, robbing them of eggs and juvenile birds, which are both considered delicacies. The men would also go out hunting for adult, flying ‘ngatijirri’, which they would kill by swinging branches, killing sticks or ‘karli’ (boomerangs) to hit the birds in flight. The ‘ngatijirri’ travelled to Yangarnmpi from Patirlirri, near Willowra to the east of Yuendumu and travelled further on to Marngangi, north/west of Mount Dennison and west of Yuendumu.Each time the flock of ancestral ‘ngatijirri’ lands, they perform ceremonies, singing and dancing as they fly and roost in the trees. After good rains ‘ngatijirri’ can successfully breed several times, resulting in an explosion of the population in a short time. Custodians for the Ngatijirri Jukurrpa are Napaljarri/Nungarrayi women and Japaljarri/Jungarrayi men.

Traditional iconography can be used to depict the sites and birds of this Jukurrpa. the iconography use for the sites and waterholes are concentric circles, while cross-like shapes depict the footprints of the birds on the ground and give an indication of the large flocks of ‘ngatijirri’ that can be found near Yangarnmpi and other sites close to Yuendumu. 

In this painting, Karen has used a non-traditional way of painting the Jukurrpa. She has used a more realistic depiction of the birds and a very abstract representation of the landscape and colors.

Karen Napaljarri Barnes was born in Lajamanu, a remote Aboriginal community in semi-arid country on the edge of the Tanami Desert 1000km north-west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. She moved to Yuendumu, 700km south, after finishing school in Lajamanu, to be with her family. She has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed Art Centre, since 2001. She is the grand-daughter of Warlukurlangus's famous artist Judy Napangardi Watson and they would sit together painting at the Art Centre every day when Karen first started painting. Karen paints the dreaming stories handed down to her by her family for generations of millenia, stories which come from Mina Mina, country west of Yuendumu of which her family are the custodians. She also paints Karnta Jukurrpa (Women’s Dreaming), Wakulyarri Jukurrpa (Wallaby Dreaming), Ngarlajiyi Jukurrpa (Bush Carrot Creaming). Karen loves sport, especially basketball and softball, and is an avid football spectator, barracking for Lajamanu.

All paintings come with a certificate of authenticity provided by the community-run Aboriginal Art Centre, not us, which is the gold standard for ethical purchasing and documentation.

We take great pride in offering high-quality, authentic Aboriginal Art pieces to you and in addition to our 120-day returns(they don't come back), we are pleased to offer a lifetime money-back authenticity guarantee to all customers who purchase Aboriginal Art from us, both past and present.

This guarantee covers any disrepute or wrongdoing in association with the authenticity of any Aboriginal artwork ever sold by ART ARK®. We understand that purchasing authentic Aboriginal Art is important to you, and we want to provide you with peace of mind in knowing that you are getting what you expect.

We take the authenticity of Aboriginal Art seriously and are committed to providing you with high-quality and genuine works of art. If at any time you have any concerns whatsoever about the authenticity of any art piece, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will investigate further. If we find any wrongdoing or disrepute in regards to the provenance or authenticity of any artwork sold by us we will promptly provide a full refund to you at any time in the future, be it in one year, or in ten!

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All of our Desert Paintings, with the exception of the Stretched Desert Paintings Collection, are sent rolled.

Sending paintings rolled is the best option for their safe arrival and allows us to include free shipping, provide timely service, and maintain consistent and transparent pricing relating to the prices set by each Aboriginal Art centre.

The size of the painting listed relates to the painted surface. There is also a painted edge(2cm) and additional canvas for stretching.

A local framer will easily stretch the work for you at a nominal cost. Framers are everywhere and there is likely one just up the road. We recommend choosing one with good reviews and if you call ahead you will generally get a better-quoted price than if you turn up, painting in hand.

Please find further details and examples relating to framing here: https://artark.com.au/pages/how-to-frame-your-aboriginal-art