Frank Japanangka, Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming) - Puyurru, 46x46cm

The site depicted in this painting is Puyurru, west of Yuendumu. In the usually dry creek beds are water soakages or naturally occurring wells. Two Jangala men, rainmakers, sang the rain, unleashing a giant storm. It travelled across the country, with the lightning striking the land. This storm met up with another storm from Wapurtali, to the west, was picked up by a ‘kirrkarlan’ (brown falcon [Falco berigora]) and carried further west until it dropped the storm at Purlungyanu, where it created a giant soakage. At Puyurru the bird dug up a giant snake, ‘warnayarra’ (the ‘rainbow serpent’) and the snake carried water to create the large lake, Jillyiumpa, close to an outstation in this country. This story belongs to Jangala men and Nangala women. In contemporary Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, associated sites and other elements. In many paintings of this Jukurrpa curved and straight lines represent the ‘ngawarra’ (flood waters) running through the landscape. Motifs frequently used to depict this story include small circles representing ‘mulju’ (water soakages) and short bars depicting ‘mangkurdu’ (cumulus & stratocumulus clouds).

Born 'in the bush' near Yuelamu in the 1920's, Frank (or Franky) Japanangka is keeper of the Yuelamu site and a leading figure in the Mt Allan community. Yuelamu is approximately 70 km from Yuendumu and is located on the site of the old Mount Allan Pastoral lease. His daughters Carol Napangardi Frank (Dec) and Peggy Nampijinpa Brown, who was the recipient of the Order of the Australia Medal (2007) for her work in the successful Yuendumu Petrol sniffing program, and several of his nieces whom he raised are also painters with Warlukurlangu Artists. Frank Japanangka worked as a stockman in earlier years. An Anmatyerre speaker, his country is Yuelamu and he paints for that country. In recent years, he has withdrawn more from community politics to reside mainly on the outstation at Yulyipinyu, close to the western boundary of Mt Allan. Before retiring Frank did not paint a great deal but since retiring from community politics Frank has time to paint and has been painting consistently with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed Art Centre located in Yuendumu, since 2008. He paints several dreamings but the one that features regularly are Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming), depicting Puyuru, a site west of Yuendumu; Karnta jukurrpa (Women’s Dreaming) depicting a sacred site; and Janganpa Jukurrpa (Bush-tail Possum Dreaming), depicting his country, its features and the animals and plants that live on the land.