Karen Napaljarri Barnes, Warlawurru Jukurrpa (Wedge-tailed Eagle Dreaming), 46x46cm

• Artist - Karen Napaljarri Barnes
• Community - Yuendumu
• Art Centre/Community organisation - Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation
• Catalogue number - 5347/17
• Materials - Acrylic on canvas
• Size(cm) - H46 W46 D2
• Postage variants - Artwork is posted un-stretched and rolled for safe shipping

The Warlawurru Jukurrpa (wedge-tailed eagle [Aquila audax] Dreaming) belongs to two places called Wakurlpa and Yuwarli, both to the north of Yuendumu. At Yuwarli, the site which is shown here, a Warlawurru made a ‘mina’ (nest) in a tree and laid two ‘ngipiri’ (eggs). From this place the ‘warlawurru’ would fly around searching for prey, up to the size of young kangaroos and emus. ‘Warlawurru’ would also travel to Ngatirri, near Purturlu, looking for food. The custodians for the Warlawurru Jukurrpa are Japaljarri/Jungarrayi men and Napaljarri/Nungarrayi women. This Jukurrpa is an important part of the initiation ceremonies for young men of the Japaljarri and Jungarrayi subsection. In contemporary Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, particular sites and other elements. In paintings depicting this Dreaming, ‘warlawurru’ nests are typically represented by concentric circles and their ‘ngipiri’ and ‘wirliya’ (tracks) are often shown as graphic representations of those elements.

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.