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Ritasha Nampijinpa Martin, Wati-jarra Jukurrpa (Two Men Dreaming), 40x40cm
  • Aboriginal Art by Ritasha Nampijinpa Martin, Wati-jarra Jukurrpa (Two Men Dreaming), 40x40cm - ART ARK®
  • Aboriginal Art by Ritasha Nampijinpa Martin, Wati-jarra Jukurrpa (Two Men Dreaming), 40x40cm - ART ARK®
  • Aboriginal Art by Ritasha Nampijinpa Martin, Wati-jarra Jukurrpa (Two Men Dreaming), 40x40cm - ART ARK®
Aboriginal Art by Ritasha Nampijinpa Martin, Wati-jarra Jukurrpa (Two Men Dreaming), 40x40cm - ART ARK®
Aboriginal Art by Ritasha Nampijinpa Martin, Wati-jarra Jukurrpa (Two Men Dreaming), 40x40cm - ART ARK®
Aboriginal Art by Ritasha Nampijinpa Martin, Wati-jarra Jukurrpa (Two Men Dreaming), 40x40cm - ART ARK®

Ritasha Nampijinpa Martin, Wati-jarra Jukurrpa (Two Men Dreaming), 40x40cm

$329.00 1550+ Reviews

Original Artwork from a Community-Run, Not-for-Profit Art Centre, Complete with a Certificate of Authenticity Issued by Them.

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  • Aboriginal Artist - Ritasha Nampijinpa Martin
  • Community - Yuendumu
  • Aboriginal Art Centre - Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation
  • Catalogue number - 144/23
  • Materials - Acrylic on pre-stretched canvas
  • Size(cm) - H40 W40 D3.5
  • Postage variants - Artwork is posted stretched and ready to hang
  • Orientation - Painted from all sides and OK to hang as wished
The ‘kirda’ (owners) of the ‘wati-jarra Jukurrpa’ (two men Dreaming) are Japaljarri/Jungarrayi men and Napaljarri/Nungarrayi women. The painting depicts the journey of a father and son performing initiation ceremonies for young men. Mens’ initiation ceremonies are performed in the hot summer months. In this Dreaming, the men dragged heavy bushes from the sites of Kurlungalinpa, Purrpalala, Yarripirlangu (Newhaven), and Jungarrayiwarnu to Yanjirlpiri (meaning ‘star’ in Warlpiri), a very important ceremonial site west of Yuendumu.
Both men and women are involved in the men's initiation ceremony. Nungarrayi and Napaljarri women travelled, dancing and singing, behind the men through these places. The women also collected ‘ngalyipi’ (snakevine [Tinospora smilacina]) and other bush foods as they went. This ‘wati-jarra Jukurrpa’ is therefore closely associated with major ‘karnta Jukurrpa’ (womens’ Dreaming) and ‘ngalyipi Jukurrpa’ (snakevine Dreaming) tracks that also travel southwards from Kurlungalinpa to Yanjirlpiri.
The ceremonial importance of Yanjirlpiri cannot be overemphasized; young boys are brought here to be initiated from as far away as Pitjantjatjara country to the south and from Lajamanu far to the north. There is a low hill and a number of ‘mulju’ (water soakages) and ‘warnirri’ (rockholes) at this site. During the ceremony, the men wear ‘jinjirla’ (white feather headdresses) on both sides of their heads. They also have wooden carvings of stars which are laid out on the ground as part of the sand paintings produced for the ‘kurlkurlpa’ (business). Their bodies are painted with white and black circles, representing stars. ‘Witi’ (ceremonial poles) are tied vertically to the legs of the young initiates using ‘ngalyipi’ (snakevine). ‘Witi’ are 10-12 foot long ceremonial poles with ‘ngapiri’ (red river gum [Eucalyptus camaldulensis]) and ‘wurrkali’ (desert bloodwood [Corymbia opaca]) leaves tied to them from top to bottom. The young men dance with the ‘witi’ tied to their shins using ‘ngalyipi’ (snakevine). They dance up and down with slightly bent knees, causing the poles to shake and sway and make noises that scare away spirits. After stopping at Yanjirlpiri for ceremonies, the men and women continued west to Lappi Lappi and to Yininti-walku-walku, near Lake Mackay by the West Australian border.
In contemporary Warlpiri paintings, traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, particular sites, and other elements. In paintings of this Dreaming, concentric circles are often used to represent the ‘yanjirlpiri’ (stars) painted on the men’s bodies. Straight lines are frequently used to represent the ‘witi,’ while sinuous lines are often used to represent the ‘ngalyipi’ (snakevine).

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While every gallery can provide a certificate of authenticity, only those issued by community-run Aboriginal Art Centres ensure ethical purchasing and documentation. Any gallery can produce a certificate with an inkjet printer, but these do not guarantee ethical practices if they do not come from an Aboriginal community art centre. Alternate certificates are a big red flag. All of our paintings come with a certificate of authenticity provided by the community-run Aboriginal Art Centre, ensuring the gold standard for ethical purchasing.

We offer a lifetime money-back authenticity guarantee and 120-day returns to ensure you are always getting an authentic piece of art from ART ARK®. Your peace of mind in knowing you are purchasing genuine Aboriginal Art is important to us.

Please find more information on authenticity here: Aboriginal Art Authenticity

This painting arrives to us pre-stretched, allowing us to send it to you while maintaining consistent and transparent pricing related to the prices set by each Aboriginal art centre.

100% ready for your wall, this painting will look fabulous straight out of the box. If you would like to jazz it up further, we have been impressed by the quality of the Anko float frames available at Target and Kmart. They are $11, and you can paint them or leave them as is. Plus, you get a canvas with them to create something of your own. 

There are some other options out there but they are poorly made.

Please find further general details and examples relating to framing here: How to Frame Your Aboriginal Art


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