Layby | Pay in 4
Layby any order with a 20% deposit. Pay in 4 up to AUD $2,000 with PayPal – details below.
Original Work of Art (they all are!) from a Community-Run Art Centre, accompanied by their Certificate of Authenticity.
Free Post
Fast Dispatch
120-Day Returns
Colour-Accurate Images
Pikilyi is a large and important waterhole and natural spring near Mount Doreen station. Pikilyi Jukurrpa (Vaughan Springs Dreaming) tells of the home of two rainbow serpents, ancestral heroes who lived together as man and wife. The woman ‘rainbow serpent’ was of the Napanangka skin group, the man was a Japangardi. This was a taboo relationship contrary to Warlpiri religious law. Women of the Napanangka and Napangardi subsection sat by the two serpents, picking lice off them. For this service, the two serpents allowed the women to take water from the springs at Pikilyi. This was because the serpents were the ‘kirda’, or ceremonial owners, for that country. The spirits of these two rainbow serpents are still at Pikilyi today. This Dreamings belongs to the women and men of the Japanangka/Napanangka and Japangardi/Napangardi skin groups.
Mary Napangardi Butcher was born at Mount Dennison, but has spent most of her life in Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community located 290 km north-west of Alice Springs in the NT of Australia. She attended the local school but did not continue her studies until now (2011) when she enrolled in an English and Literacy Course with Batchelor College. She is very committed to her studies and travels, at least twice a year, to Darwin to attend courses. Mary is a single parent and has two sons, Herbert and Johnathan Martin. Mary has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu, since 1987. She was greatly influenced by her father Jack Japanangka Butcher (Dec) and his sister Daisy Napanangka Nelson (1930 – 2001), both artists who painted with Warlukurlangu Artists in the early 80s and 90s. Mary would often paint with her sister Florrie Napangardi Jones and with Daisy on the same piece of artwork. Mary paints her Pikilyi Jukurrpa stories-Pikilyi is a sacred water hole that never dries out. These Dreamings depict country, and describe journeys across the land. Traditions passed down to her by her father and grandfather and their fathers before them for millennia. Mary loves to paint, to learn more about her culture. “We [family] get together and as we paint we all tell stories”.
We take great pride in offering high-quality, authentic Aboriginal Art pieces to you. However, we are aware that there have been instances in the Aboriginal Art market where the authenticity of some artworks has been called into question. We want to assure you and all of our customers that we firmly stand behind the authenticity of every artwork we sell.
In addition to our extended 120 days standard returns, we are pleased to offer a lifetime money-back authenticity guarantee to all customers who purchase Aboriginal Art from us, both past and present. This guarantee covers any disrepute or wrongdoing in association with the authenticity of any Aboriginal artwork sold by ART ARK®. We understand that purchasing authentic Aboriginal Art is important to you, and we want to provide you with peace of mind in knowing that they are getting what you paid for.
As part of our commitment to authentic Aboriginal Art, we work with reputable Aboriginal Art centres that we know are committed to maintaining the integrity of Aboriginal Art. Additionally, we continually monitor all aspects of the Aboriginal Art market and are acutely aware of, and are proactive in addressing any issues arising.
We take the authenticity of Aboriginal Art seriously and are committed to providing you with high-quality and genuine works of art. If you have any concerns about the authenticity of any art piece you purchased from us, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will investigate further. If we find any wrongdoing or disrepute in regards to the provenance or authenticity of any artwork we have sold we will happily provide a full refund to you at any time in the future outside of our standard returns policy.
Thank you for choosing ART ARK® for your Aboriginal Art purchasing. We are honoured to provide you with authentic, high-quality art pieces and look forward to continuing to serve you.
Warm your home with beautiful Aboriginal art from the world’s oldest living culture. When you purchase, you support the artist and their community art centre. Your artwork will arrive exactly as shown, colour-accurate, carefully packed, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from a community-based art centre. Enjoy free insured delivery and a 120-day return policy for a seamless, confident, and ethical buying experience.
Only certificates from community-based Aboriginal art centres guarantee ethical sourcing. Every ART ARK® piece includes this important documentation. Learn more about Aboriginal Art Authenticity.
We love our artworks, and we think you will too! However, if for any reason you are not 100% satisfied in any way with your artwork then you can return it within 120 days of receipt for a full refund. Learn more about Delivery and Returns.
To keep pricing transparent, we deliver artworks as they come to us—unframed and priced in accordance with each art centre. Canvas and linen pieces are rolled for easy re-stretching at your local framer. Bark paintings and smaller items from our Stretched Desert Paintings collection arrive ready to hang. Watercolours should be framed behind glass, either custom or pre-made. Learn more about Framing Aboriginal Art.
Our customers love our fast deliveries, the accuracy of our images, and our ethical business model. See our Customer Reviews to learn more.
We’re flexible and want to support you as you support the artists. Traditional layby is available—simply pay a 20% deposit at checkout using code LAYBY20, and we’ll send you an invoice for the remaining balance within 24 hours. You can then make payments as you wish over 2 months, and we’ll reconcile the total before sending your artwork.
Select PayPal at checkout to split your purchase into 4 interest-free payments. Pay the first at checkout, then one every two weeks. Available for orders upto AUD$2,000. Unlike Layby, we can post your artwork straight away.
Shipping from Launceston, Tasmania (Lutruwita), to your doorstep, wherever you are. Domestic deliveries are free. For international orders under $500 AUD, a $30 AUD postage fee applies; otherwise, shipping is also free. Helpful Customs Links.
Please note: International duties and taxes may vary depending on your country. Original artworks, classified under tariff 970191(0000), are duty-free in the United States and Canada. The UK applies a reduced VAT of 5%, France 5.5%, and Germany 7%. In many other countries, duties can be higher so please check. We recommend keeping this in mind when making a purchase.