Nita Connelly, Kungkarangkalpa (Seven Sisters Story), 91x91cm

• Aboriginal Artist - Nita Connelly
• Community - Pipalyatjara
• Aboriginal Art Centre - Ninuku Arts
• Catalogue number - 19-145
• Materials - Acrylic on canvas  
• Size(cm) - H91 W91 D2  
• Postage variants - Artwork posted un-stretched and rolled for safe shipping
• Orientation - Painted from all sides and OK to hang as wished

This is a major Tjukurpa for Irrunytju (Wingellina) and across the central Australian deserts. The seven sisters travelled from Kaliwarra to Wannan in Western Australia, stopping at significant sites and rockholes including Kuru Ala, a sacred place for women. They encountered a lusƞul man named Wati Nyiru, who chased them around the desert. Some of the details of this Tjukurpa (Dreaming story) are sacred and can’t be repeated.

Nita Connelly was born in 1966 in Amata, a remote community in South Australia. When she was 10 years old, her family relocated to her father’s traditional homeland, the country surrounding Pipalyatjara. This was during the time of the “Homeland Movement” when Anangu (people of the Pitjantjatjara lands) were supported in resettling back into western communities. Nita has raised four children and now has six grandsons. She continues to live in Pipalyatjara. Nita has been painting for many years, where she continues to experiment and refine her style. This experimentation includes her use of a variety of different artistic instruments, such as brushes, ‘punu’ (a small wooden instrument), and forks. Her art is heavily influenced by her family’s traditional country; Puta Puta on her mother’s side, and Pipalyatjara on her father’s. She also frequently depicts ‘Kungkarrakalpa Tjukurpa’, the Seven Sisters Dreaming story, in her artworks.

Ninuku Arts is a wholly-Indigenous owned and governed Art Centre which supports artists from two communities - Pipalyatjara and Kalka. Each have populations of around 100-150 Anangu and the majority are Pitjantjatjara speakers – Anangu simply means ‘people’ in Pitjantjatjara. Both communities are located in the far north-western corner of South Australia, near the tri-state border of South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory. The two communities, fourteen kilometres apart, are surrounded by the rolling, rocky hills of the Tomkinson Ranges and are part of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. Both Kalka and Pipalyatjara are peaceful places. This is a result of strong governance, cultural engagement and pride among local Anangu. 

The Art Centre itself is located in Kalka and is housed in a mud-brick building (the only one in the Lands), which was built as an office in the early 1980’s by Anangu and white staff, and has since been extended to accommodate the growing number of artists keen to paint. A silver bullet caravan (formerly a mobile health unit) is also located on site, and has become a place for some artists to paint, mostly during the winter months while the morning sun warms the deck. Despite being the most remote art centre on the APY Lands, having limited working space and access to services, Ninuku Arts has continued to grow in success with each year. The artist’s commitment to both the art centre and painting is unflappable. The art centre prides itself on its inclusivity (providing opportunities for all generations) and embracing individuality in artists.