Grace Napangardi Butcher, Pikilyi Jukurrpa (Vaughan Springs Dreaming), 76x61cm

• Aboriginal Artist - Grace Napangardi Butcher
• Community - Yuendumu
• Aboriginal Art Centre - Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation
• Catalogue number - 3965/23
• Materials - Acrylic paint on linen
• Size(cm) - H76 W61 D2
• Postage variants - Artwork is posted rolled for safe shipping
• Orientation - Painted from all sides and OK to hang as wished

Pikilyi is a large and important waterhole and natural spring near Mount Doreen station. Pikilyi Jukurrpa (Vaughan Springs Dreaming) tells of the home of two rainbow serpents, ancestral heroes who lived together as man and wife. The woman ‘rainbow serpent’ was of the Napanangka skin group, the man was a Japangardi. This was a taboo relationship contrary to Warlpiri religious law. Women of the Napanangka and Napangardi subsection sat by the two serpents, picking lice off them. For this service, the two serpents allowed the women to take water from the springs at Pikilyi. This was because the serpents were the ‘kirda’, or ceremonial owners, for that country. The spirits of these two rainbow serpents are still at Pikilyi today. This Dreaming belongs to the women and men of the Japanangka/Napanangka and Japangardi/Napangardi skin groups.

Gracie Napangardi Butcher Formerly Florrie Napangardi Jones was born in 1967 in Yuendumu, a remote community located 290 km north-west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. When young, Florrie moved to Alice Springs with her family. She attended Yirara College in Alice Springs and the Institute for Aboriginal Development (Aboriginal Corporation) where she studied Spoken and Written English. She wanted to learn more and to read and write. Florrie began painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu, in 1987 but it wasn’t until 2008, when she returned to Yuendumu to be near her family that she began painting full time. Both her sister Mary Napangardi Butcher and her Aunty Daisy Napanangka Nelson (1930 – 2001) are well-known artists and together they would often paint on the same piece of artwork. Florrie paints her Pikilyi Jukurrpa stories – Pikilyi is a sacred water hole that never dries out. These Dreamings depict country and describe journeys across the land, its features and the plants and animals that inhabit it. These stories were passed down to her from her father’s side and have been passed down for millennia. Florrie loves to paint as it connects her to her culture. When she is not painting she looks after her daughter and spends time with her family.

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.

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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