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This painting depicts the Pamapardu Jukurrpa (Flying Ant Dreaming) from Wapurtali, west of Yuendumu. 'Pamapardu' is the Warlpiri name for the flying ants or termites that build the large anthills found throughout Warlpiri country. This country belongs to Nakamarra/Napurrurla women and Jakamarra/Jupurrurla men. 'Pamapardu' are flying ants. They build earth mounds (‘mingkirri’) that are common in the Tanami area. When heavy rains come in summer the ‘mingkirri’ get flooded out, so the ‘pamapardu’ grow wings and fly off to make new homes, following their queens to dry mounds or to build a new. When they have found their new home they drop their wings. In this stage they can be collected, lightly cooked in coals and eaten. As they fall to the ground women collect them to eat because they are nice and sweet. In contemporary Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, particular sites and other elements. When this Jukurrpa story is painted concentric circles are used to represent the ‘mingkirri’ and the rockholes involved in the story, including the central one at Wapurtali (Mt Singleton). Dashes are often depicted around the circles to represent the ‘pamapardu’.
Kara Napangardi Ross was born in 1984, in Alice Springs hospital, the nearest hospital to Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community located 290 km north-west of Alice Springs in the NT of Australia. She has lived in Yuendumu her whole life, attending the local school before studying at Yirara College in Alice Springs and then at Kormilda College in Darwin. After finishing school she returned to Yuendumu and married. She has two children a little girl Angie and a boy Terrence. Kara has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation since 2002, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu. She often visited her grandfather Jack Jakamarra Ross who is one of the founding artists for this cooperative. She would sit with him and watch him paint his dreaming stories which have been passed down to her. They include the Pamapardu (Flying Ant Dreaming) and Janganpa (Native Possum Dreaming). Apart from raising her two children and painting Kara also occasionally works at the local food store. Kara also often goes out hunting for traditional foods with her extended family members in the country around Yuendumu.
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
Warm your home with beautiful Aboriginal art from the world’s oldest living culture. When you purchase, you support the artist and their community art centre. Your artwork will arrive exactly as shown, colour-accurate, carefully packed, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from a community-based art centre. Enjoy free insured delivery and a 120-day return policy for a seamless, confident, and ethical buying experience.
Only certificates from community-based Aboriginal art centres guarantee ethical sourcing. Every ART ARK® piece includes this important documentation. Learn more about Aboriginal Art Authenticity.
We love our artworks, and we think you will too! However, if for any reason you are not 100% satisfied in any way with your artwork then you can return it within 120 days of receipt for a full refund. Learn more about Delivery and Returns.
To keep pricing transparent, we deliver artworks as they come to us—unframed and priced in accordance with each art centre. Canvas and linen pieces are rolled for easy re-stretching at your local framer. Bark paintings and smaller items from our Stretched Desert Paintings collection arrive ready to hang. Watercolours should be framed behind glass, either custom or pre-made. Learn more about Framing Aboriginal Art.
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We’re flexible and want to support you as you support the artists. Traditional layby is available—simply pay a 20% deposit at checkout using code LAYBY20, and we’ll send you an invoice for the remaining balance within 24 hours. You can then make payments as you wish over 2 months, and we’ll reconcile the total before sending your artwork.
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Please note: International duties and taxes may vary depending on your country. Original artworks, classified under tariff 970191(0000), are duty-free in the United States and Canada. The UK applies a reduced VAT of 5%, France 5.5%, and Germany 7%. In many other countries, duties can be higher so please check. We recommend keeping this in mind when making a purchase.