Wendy Nungarrayi Brown, Purrpalanji (Skinny Bush Banana) Jukurrpa, 30x30cm

• Aboriginal Artist - Wendy Nungarrayi Brown
• Community - Yuendumu  
• Aboriginal Art Centre - Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation
• Art centre catalogue number - 5026/23
• Materials - Acrylic on pre-stretched canvas 
• Size(cm) - H30 W30 D3.5  
• Postage - Artwork posted stretched and ready to hang
• Orientation - Painted from all sides and OK to hang as wished

‘Purrpalanji’ (skinny bush banana [Rhyncharrhena linearis]) is a twining climber with thin leaves and pink-brown flowers. Its bean-like edible pods are long and skinny, and can grow up to 20 cm long. It is fire tolerant and grows quickly whenever moisture is available. Like ‘yuparli’ (bush banana [Marsdenia australis]), all of the plant is eaten aside from the woody stems.

This ‘purrpalanji Jukurrpa’ (skinny bush banana Dreaming) comes from Pikilyi (Vaughan Springs), a large waterhole and natural spring to the west of Yuendumu, close to Mount Doreen. Napangardi/Napanangka women and Japangardi/Japanangka men are the ‘kirda’ (owners) of the skinny bush banana Dreaming at Pikilyi. Nangala women and Jangala men are the ‘kurdungurlu’ (custodians) of this Dreaming.

Napangardi and Napanangka women collect ‘purrpalanji’ (skinny bush banana) and ‘yuparli’ (bush banana) around Pikilyi in their ‘parraja’ (coolamons). They cook the ‘purrpalanji’ and ‘yuparli’ in hot ashes to get rid of the acidic taste they can have when eaten raw. The skinny bush banana Dreaming is only associated with Pikilyi, and does not travel to other locations. Pikilyi is an important site associated with a number of different Dreamings. These include ‘yuparli Jukurrpa’ (bush banana Dreaming), ‘warrilyi ngurlu Jukurrpa’ (blue mallee [Eucalyptus polybractea] seed Dreaming), ‘kakalyalya Jukurrpa’ (cockatoo Dreaming), and ‘warna-jarra Jukurrpa’ (two snakes Dreaming). In the two snakes Dreaming story, Napangardi and Napanangka women picked lice off of the two snakes living in the waterhole at Pikilyi.

In Warlpiri paintings, traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa and other elements. Curved lines are used to represent the long, skinny edible portion of the ‘purrpalanji’ (skinny bush banana).

Wendy Nungarrayi Brown is the daughter of two of Warlukurlangu Artists founding artists: The late Bessie Nakamarra Sims (1932- 2012) and the late Paddy Japaljarri Sims (1916 – 2010). She has two sisters and one brother and they all paint through the art centre. Wendy has four children and many grandchildren that she helps to take care of when she’s not painting. Wendy has lived her whole life in Yuendumu; a remote Aboriginal community located 290 kms north-west of Alice Springs in the NT of Australia. She attended the local school followed by further studies at Bachelor College where she completed a pre-tertiary course before studying Early Childhood Education. Besides helping out with Meals on Wheels for the old people, Wendy worked for many years at the local Child Care Centre but had to stop working in 2004 as she suffers from chronic arthritis. Wendy has been painting with the Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu, since 1987 and has been exhibiting her work in Group Exhibitions since 1988. Because of her busy lifestyle her production of art work was initially sporadic - it wasn’t until 2004 when she retired that she was able to commit herself to full time painting. Wendy paints her Dreaming stories, dreaming stories which relate directly to ceremony, land, and bush tucker. These Dreaming stories were passed down to her by her father and his father before him.