Antonia Napangardi Michaels, Lappi Lappi Jukurrpa, 122x107cm

• Aboriginal Artist - Antonia Napangardi Michaels
• Community - Nyirripi
• Aboriginal Art Centre - Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation
• Catalogue number - 5854/23
• Materials - Acrylic on linen
• Size(cm) - H122 W107 D2
• Postage variants - This work is posted rolled for safe shipping
• Orientation - Painted from all sides and OK to hang as wished

The subject of this work is Lappi Lappi, a rock hole near Lake Hazlett, about 90 km northwest of Lake Mackay in Western Australia. The country belongs to Nampijinpa/Jampijinpa and Nangala/Jangala skin groups. Located in a sheltered basin, the rock hole at Lappi Lappi is a permanent source of water, and is surrounded by country rich in bush tucker. In the time of the Jukurrpa (Dreamtime) many mothers with young children would gather there because it was a safe place to stay. The rock hole at Lappi Lappi is home to a ‘warnayarra’, a rainbow serpent that travels underground between various rock holes. One day, women were gathered at the rock hole with their children, singing and dancing. When the ‘warnayarra’ heard the sound of voices, it travelled silently towards them, under the water. When it reached the edge of the rock hole, it rose out of the water and ate them all.

Antonia Napangardi Michaels was born on the 6 March 1998 in Alice Springs Hospital, the closest hospital to Nyirripi, a remote aboriginal community located approximately 420 km north-west of Alice Springs and approx. 130 km north-west of Yuendumu, in the Northern Territory of Australia. She is the daughter of Andrea Nungarrayi Wilson and Chris Japanangka Michaels and granddaughter of Alice NampijinpaHenworth, all major Warlpiri artists. Antonia went to St Mary’s School in Broome, graduating in 2012. When she finished school, she came back to Nyirripi and worked at the Learning Centre run by the Batchelor Institute, an Indigenous Tertiary Education Program, where Antonia assisted students with computer skills.

Antonia began painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu and Nyirripi, in 2010 when she was 12 yrs old and again in 2014 when she was 16 yrs. Antonia continues the family tradition of artists painting her Grandmother’s Lappi Lappi Jukurrpa(Lappi Lappi Dreaming) and her father’s Janganpa Jukurrpa (Bush-tailed Possum Dreaming), stories which relate directly to her land, its features and the plants and animals that inhabit it. These stories were passed down to her by her Parents and their parents before them for millennia.  She learnt to paint first at school and then by watching all the family paint. She uses an unrestricted palette to depict her traditional iconography, at the same time developing a modern individualist style, using pattern in a variety of contexts.

Antonia is married to Maxie Jampijinpa Pollard and has one son born in 2017. When she is not painting, or working she loves to go hunting for bush tucker with family and friends.

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!

Please find more information on authenticity here: https://artark.com.au/pages/aboriginal-art-authenticity

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