Theresa Napurrurla Ross, Pamapardu Jukurrpa (Flying Ant Dreaming) - Warntungurru, 30x30cm

• Aboriginal Artist - Theresa Napurrurla Ross
• Community - Yuendumu  
• Aboriginal Art Centre- Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation  
• Catalogue number - 9778/22
• Materials - Acrylic paint on pre-stretched canvas
• Size(cm) - H30 W30 D3.5 
• Postage variants - Artwork posted stretched and ready to hang
• Orientation - Painted from all sides and OK to hang as wished

This painting depicts the Pamapardu Jukurrpa (Flying Ant Dreaming) from Wapurtali, west of Yuendumu. 'Pamapardu' is the Warlpiri name for the flying ants or termites that build the large anthills found throughout Warlpiri country. This country belongs to Nakamarra/Napurrurla women and Jakamarra/Jupurrurla men. 'Pamapardu' are flying ants. They build earth mounds (‘mingkirri’) that are common in the Tanami area. When heavy rains come in summer the ‘mingkirri’ get flooded out, so the ‘pamapardu’ grow wings and fly off to make new homes, following their queens to dry mounds or to build a new. When they have found their new home they drop their wings. In this stage they can be collected, lightly cooked in coals and eaten. As they fall to the ground women collect them to eat because they are nice and sweet. In contemporary Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, particular sites and other elements. When this Jukurrpa story is painted concentric circles are used to represent the ‘mingkirri’ and the rockholes involved in the story, including the central one at Wapurtali (Mt Singleton). Dashes are often depicted around the circles to represent the ‘pamapardu’.

Theresa Napurrurla Ross is the daughter of Peggy Morton but she was raised by Tess Napaljarri Ross, a full time artist with the Warlukurlangu Artists and her husband, Jack Jakamarra Ross (1992 - 2004), one of the founding artists of the art centre. Theresa grew up in Yuendumu, an Aboriginal settlement 290 kms north-west of Yuendumu. She attended Yuendumu High School and after leaving school Theresa married her husband and had two daughters, Kara and Michaela. Kara lives in Yuendumu and also paints regularly for the art centre. Theresa has been working with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu, since 2005. She consistently paints her Pamapardu Jukurrpa (Flying Ant Dreaming) from her father’s side. As a young girl she would sit with Jack Ross and watch him paint his dreaming stories, in particular, his Pamapardu Jukurrpa which he passed down to her. These Dreamings relate directly to the land, its features and the plants and animals that inhabit it. At one time Theresa worked at Yuendumu School doing administration work and when there was a bank at Yuendumu, she also worked there. When young she enjoyed playing softball and basketball but these days she likes to paint and play with her grandchildren.

We take great pride in offering high-quality, authentic Aboriginal Art pieces to you. However, we are aware that there have been instances (and recent press relating to the unaffiliated APYACC) 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.