Ena Nakamarra Gibson, Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming) - Wapurtali, 61x61cm

• Aboriginal Artist - Ena Nakamarra Gibson
• Community - Nyirripi
• Aboriginal Art Centre - Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation
• Catalogue number - 440/09ny
• Materials - Acrylic on linen
• Size(cm) - H61 W61 D2
• Postage variants - Artwork is posted un-stretched and rolled for shipping
• Orientation - Painted from all sides and OK to hang as wished

This Ngapa Jukurrpa (water Dreaming) comes from Wapurtali (Mt. Singleton) west of Yuendumu. The custodians of this Jukurrpa are women and men of the Nakamarra/Napurrula and Jakamarra/Jupurrurla subsection. A ‘marlu’ (kangaroo) was cooked at a place called Jalkirri. The smoke from the fire formed ‘milpirri’ (cumulonimbus clouds) and it began to rain. A giant storm formed and travelled from the south over Mikanji where it rained so hard it created a hole in the ground which became a soakage. At Mirrawarri a bird picked up the storm and carried it on its wings to the west until it became too heavy for it and it had to drop it on the ground. In Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, particular sites and other elements. Short dashes are often used to represent Mungkurdu (cumulus & stratocumulus clouds), and longer, flowing lines represent ‘ngawarra’ (flooded waters). Small circles are used to depict ‘mulju’ (water soakages) and river beds.

Ena Nakamarra Gibson lived in Nyirrpi, a remote Aboriginal Community 460 kms north-west of Alice Springs in the NT of Australia.

Ena painted with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumi, between 2005 and 2010. She passed away in January, 2011. She painted her father’s Jukurrpa stories, Dreamings which relate directly to her land, its features and the plants and animals that inhabit it. These stories were passed down to her by her father and her father’s father before them for millennia. Ena generally painted Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming), stories about sacred sites or about animals and plants which are commonly found in the country surrounding this community. The custodians of this Jukurrpa are women and men of the Nakamarra/Napurrula and Jakamarra/Jupurrurla subsection.

Food and bush tucker are still regularly hunted and collected today, and Ena would often go out hunting with family and friends. They would hunt for goanna, kangaroo, snake, and witchetty grubs as well as bush tucker, such as native currants, bush potato and bush banana.