Vera Raymond, Seven Sisters, 50x40cm

• Aboriginal Artist - Vera Raymond
• Community - Amata/Adelaide
• Aboriginal Art Centre - Iwiri Arts 
• Catalogue number - 111-23
• Materials - Acrylic paint on canvas
• Size(cm) - H50 W40 D2
• Postage variants - Artwork posted un-stretched and rolled for safe shipping
• Orientation - Painted from all sides and OK to hang as wished

This painting is about the constellation of Orion and Pleiades. The sisters are the Pleiades constellation and Orion is said to be a bad man. Wati Nyiru is forever chasing the sisters. According to the story, the seven sisters travel again and again from the sky to the earth to escape the persistent and unwanted attentions of Wati Nyiru. They turn into their human form to hide, but he always finds them and they flee back to the sky. As Wati Nyiru is chasing the sisters he tries to catch them by using magic to create the most tempting kanpur arora (bush tomatoes) for the sisters to eat and the most beautiful Ili (fig) tree for them to camp under. The sisters however, are too clever for Wati Nyiru and outwit him. They go hungry and run through the night rather than be caught by him. Every now and again one of the women would fall victim to his ways. It is said that he eventually captures the youngest sister, but with the help of the oldest sister, she escapes back to her sisters who are waiting for her. Eventually, the sisters fly back into the sky to escape Wati Nyiru, reforming the constellation.

Vera was born in Amata Community in 1970 and went to school at Amata School. She spent numerous years in the 80s working for CDP (Community Development Program) before beginning her career as an artist in the early 2000s. Vera has loved painting and Tjanpi weaving with Tjala Arts Centre in Amata and now continues her artstic endeavors in Adelaide with Iwiri Arts

Iwiṟi was established by Aṉangu in 2018, many of whom had been forced to move to Adelaide due to chronic health conditions and lack of services in their home communities. Living far from their traditional homelands, Anangu were concerned about the cultural and social isolation they were experiencing and saw a need to act.  Iwiri was formed initially to help retain, promote and transmit Anangu culture and language through the areas of arts, language, knowledge and community. Since then Iwiṟi has grown rapidly into an organization that delivers  a range of programs that aim to strengthen and advance Aṉangu wellbeing.

Iwiri strengthens the Aṉangu community through cultural and arts activities, creating employment opportunities and enterprise development. We want our young people to be strong in their language and culture and to take up opportunities to work in our community.

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