Women's Ceremonyby Narpula Scobie Napurrula

The painting depicts body paint design, ceremonial site and rock holes associated with Pintupi women's ceremonies, from the Western Desert in Central Australia. Prior commencing their ceremony, the Aboriginal women paint their upper body, using ground ochres to create markings or body paint designs. Ceremonies include song and dance cycles.

Awelye (Body Paint) - Video of Aboriginal Women applying body paint design

Artist:Narpula Scobie Napurrula
Title:Women's Ceremony
ID:0612532
Medium:Acrylic on Belgian Linen
Size:136 x 98 cm
Region:Amunturngu, Central Australia

Artist

Narpula Scobie Napurrula was born in c.1933 near Haasts Bluff and grew up in Papunya in central Australia. where she stayed until the beginning of the 80s. Both her older brother Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula and her husband Johnny Scobie Tjapanangka were also artists (both deceased).

Narpula assisted her husband for many years in painting the background details to his artwork, Narpula began painting herself independently in the 80s. In those early years she was the only female artist working in the Papunya area. Napurrula began painting for Papunya Tula Artists in the early 1980s, and was one of the first and few women at the time to do so.

Narpula depicts in her artwork themes of bush food stories, including the ‘Two Women who came from Mitukutjarrayi’ in the south. She reside at Mount Leibig.

View more artworks by this artist