





Portia Napanangka Michaels, Lappi Lappi Jukurrpa, 61x46cm
Layby: Available with a 20% deposit of
$71.80
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Original Work of Art (1/1) from a Community Art Centre. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity issued by them.
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- Aboriginal Artist - Portia Napanangka Michaels
- Community - Nyirripi
- Aboriginal Art Centre - Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation
- Catalogue number - 203/23ny
- Materials - Acrylic paint on canvas
- Size(cm) - H61 W46 D2
- Postage variants - This work is posted rolled for safe shipping
- Orientation - Painted from all sides and OK to hang as wished
The subject of this work is Lappi Lappi, a rock hole near Lake Hazlett, about 90 km northwest of Lake Mackay in Western Australia. The country belongs to Nampijinpa/Jampijinpa and Nangala/Jangala skin groups. Located in a sheltered basin, the rock hole at Lappi Lappi is a permanent source of water, and is surrounded by country rich in bush tucker. In the time of the Jukurrpa (Dreamtime) many mothers with young children would gather there because it was a safe place to stay. The rock hole at Lappi Lappi is home to a ‘warnayarra’, a rainbow serpent that travels underground between various rock holes. One day, women were gathered at the rock hole with their children, singing and dancing. When the ‘warnayarra’ heard the sound of voices, it travelled silently towards them, under the water. When it reached the edge of the rock hole, it rose out of the water and ate them all.
Portia Napanangka Michaels was born in 1967 in Alice Springs Hospital, the closest hospital to Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community 290 km north-west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. She was born into a family of artists. She is the daughter of Mary Anne Nampijinpa Michaels, a well-known Warlukurlangu artist. Portia has two sisters and two brothers and lives in Nyirripi, an Aboriginal community 150 km west of Yuendumu. She attended Yuendumu local school before going to Yirara College, an Aboriginal boarding school in Alice Springs. When she finished school she returned to Nyirripi where she has been working for the Age care. Portia has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre in Yuendumu, since 2007. Warlukurlangu Artists provides an outlet for Warlpiri artists to paint their cultural heritage and earn income from their work. This service is extended to Nyirripi artists, on a weekly basis, by delivering canvas and paint to artists and picking up finished artwork in Nyirripi. “I watched my mother paint and my grandmother paint. They told me all about the dreaming.” Portia paints Lappi Lappi Jukurrpa (Lappi Lappi Dreaming) from her mother’s side and Janganpa Jukurrpa (Brush-tailed possum Dreaming) from her father’s side. These stories have been passed down to her by her father and mother and their parents before them for millennia. When Portia is not painting she likes to go hunting for goanna.
All paintings come with a certificate of authenticity provided by the community-run Aboriginal Art Centre, not us, which is the gold standard for ethical purchasing and documentation.
We take great pride in offering high-quality, authentic Aboriginal Art pieces to you and in addition to our 120-day returns(they don't come back), 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 ever 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 you are getting what you expect.
We take the authenticity of Aboriginal Art seriously and are committed to providing you with high-quality and genuine works of art. If at any time you have any concerns whatsoever about the authenticity of any art piece, 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 sold by us we will promptly provide a full refund to you at any time in the future, be it in one year, or in ten!
Please find more information on authenticity here: https://artark.com.au/pages/aboriginal-art-authenticity
All of our Desert Paintings, with the exception of the Stretched Desert Paintings Collection, are sent rolled.
Sending paintings rolled is the best option for their safe arrival and allows us to include free shipping, provide timely service, and maintain consistent and transparent pricing relating to the prices set by each Aboriginal Art centre.
The size of the painting listed relates to the painted surface. There is also a painted edge(2cm) and additional canvas for stretching.
A local framer will easily stretch the work for you at a nominal cost. Framers are everywhere and there is likely one just up the road. We recommend choosing one with good reviews and if you call ahead you will generally get a better-quoted price than if you turn up, painting in hand.
Please find further details and examples relating to framing here: https://artark.com.au/pages/how-to-frame-your-aboriginal-art
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