Stephanie Napurrurla Nelson, Yarla Jukurrpa (Bush Potato Dreaming) - Yumurrpa, 76x76cm

• Aboriginal Artist - Stephanie Napurrurla Nelson
• Community - Yuendumu  
• Aboriginal Art Centre - Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation  
• Catalogue number - 8233/23
• Materials - Acrylic on linen
• Size(cm) - H76 W76 D2 
• Postage variants - Artwork is posted un-stretched and rolled for safe shipping
• Orientation - Painted from all sides and OK to hang as wished

The Yarla Jukurrpa (bush potato [Ipomea costata] Dreaming) tells the story of a fight between ‘yarla’ from Yumurrpa and ‘wapirti’ (bush carrot [Vigna lanceolata]) from Wapurtali. The ‘yarla’ were Jakamarra/Jupurrurla skins and they were in conflict over Napaljarri/Napanangka women, who have the right skin for marriage. The fight took place at ‘Ngardirpi. Many men died, their bodies are now sand hills and their blood formed a water soak. ‘Yarla’ are fibrous tubers that grow beneath a low spreading plant, found by looking for cracks in the ground. Yarla are good to eat, when cooked they are really soft and tasty. This Dreaming belongs to Jupurrurla/Jakamarra men and Napurrula/Nakamarra women. Nakamarra and Napurrula ‘karnta’ (women) are shown sitting down at Yumurrpa gathering ‘yarla’ with ‘karlangu’ (digging sticks) and placing them in ‘parraja’ (wooden carrying dishes). In contemporary Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, associated sites and other elements. In paintings of this Jukurrpa women are usually depicted by ‘U’ shapes while the ‘yarla’ plants are represented by concentric circles. The ‘watarlapi’ (the lateral ‘yarla’ roots) are shown across the painting, to symbolize the way this Jukurrpa is spread through Warlpiri country.

Stephanie Napurrurla Nelson was born in 1984 in the Northern Territory town of Alice Springs. She grew up 290km from there, in Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal Community. She attended the local school then studied at Yirrara College, an Aboriginal boarding college in Alice Springs. Stephanie's auntie is Bessie Nakamarra Sims (Dec) who was one of the founding artists of Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre in the community of Yuendumu. Stephanie has painted at the art centre since 2000 under the guidance of Bessie, from whom she has been handed the Dreaming stories she paints. These stories have been passed down in this way over many generations. Stephanie’s dreamings include Janganpa (possum), Yarla (bush potato), Karnta (women), Marlu (kangaroo), Pamabaru (flying ant). They come from Waputali, the country of which her family are custodians, and relate directly to this land, it's features and animals. Stephanie is married and has a son who was born in 2003. She likes playing basketball and going hunting with her family.