Water Dreamingby Nathania Nangala Granites

This vibrant small painting depicts the site of Puyurru, to the west of Yuendumu. It is a significant place for Nathania and her family. Puyurru is usually dry creek beds which are water soakages or natural occuring wells. The Jukurrpa (Dreaming) talks of two Jangala men who were rainmakers, they would sing the rain, unleashing a gaint storm. It travelled across the country with lightning striking the land. The storm met another storm from Wapurtali, to the west, where it was picked up by a "Kirrkarlan" (Brown Falcon) and carried further west until it dropped the storm at Purlungyanu. It was here that a great soakage was created. At Puyurru a bird dug up a gaint snake "Warnayarra" (The Rainbown Serpent) and the snake carried water to create the large lake, Jillyiumpa, near an oustation in this country. This particular Dreaming story belongs to the Jangala men and the Nangala women.

Artist:Nathania Nangala Granites
Title:Water Dreaming
ID:204314
Medium:Acrylic on Canvas
Size:30 x 30 cm
Region:Yuendumu, Central Australia

Artist

Nathania Nangala Granites is a young Warlpiri woman from Yuendumu Community, approximately 3 hours from Alice Springs in Central Australia. Nathania is an emerging artist who has worked closely with Warlukurlangu – Artists of Yuendumu. The primary focus of her artworks centre around the sacred place of Puyurru which is to the west of Yuendumu Community, it is central to the Ngapa (Water) Dreaming for the area. Puyurru usually features dry creek beds which are water soakages or naturally occurring wells. Nathania takes an underground view for her paintings, detailing the underground rivers which snake across the countryside.

Nathania is also an active member of her community not only through her painting with Warlukurlangu Artists but also the Mt Theo Program as a Jaru Pirrjirdi Trainee within The Jaru Pirrjirdi Program. This is a youth development and leadership program as well as an after care program for at risk young people. Nathania’s paintings have been featured through several other galleries around Australia through her involved with Warlukurlangu and now Central Art is excited to be able to feature her paintings through our website also.

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Why Sabine likes this

I like this painting because of the contrast between the solid black lines and the precise red and orange dot work. It is a small painting yet it provides so much information of the landscape from an underground view.