Jennifer Mintaya Connelly Ward, Kungkarangkalpa (Seven Sisters Story), 91x61cm

• Aboriginal Artist - Jennifer Mintaya Connelly Ward
• Community - Kalka
• Aboriginal Art Centre - Ninuku Arts
• Catalogue number - 25-293
• Materials - Professional artist acrylic on canvas
• Size(cm) - H91 W61 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 lustful 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.

Jennifer was born at Mulga Park. She has seven children, and although they are now grown up, she is a busy woman, as she is the primary carer for several of her grandchildren. Jennifer has been working in the remote media industry off and on for 10 years, in Pipalyatjara, Irrunytju (Wingellina) and Umuwa. She is a skilled camera person and editor and has painted for both Ninuku Arts in Kalka, and Kayili Arts in Patjarr community. Jennifer’s time at Patjarr in Western Australia has informed her fluid and organic painting style. She is a natural colourist and most commonly depicts the Kungkarrakalpa Tjukurpa (or Seven Sisters Dreaming). She uses two implements - a brush and punu (small stick) - to create her compositions. Her paintings have great depth, which is created by the layers in her work, with some of her shapes appearing to float on the surface of the canvas. The colours she uses (and there are often many) flow into one another to create a blended effect.
Born at Mulga Park in 1964. Mintaya went to school in Amata and college in Alice Springs and Adelaide. Staying at Papunya with her father's family in her 20's. She then married Kutunitja Ward and lived in Patjarr for a long time, having 7 children. Mintaya has been working in the media for 10 years having trained in Darwin at Bachelor College.