Womens Ceremonyby Pantjiya Nungurrayi

This painting represents the sand hills (Tali) referring to the artists traditional homelands of Kiwirrkurra in the Western Desert, Central Australia.

The sand hills carry a deep spiritual meaning for Aboriginal women. It is a place where the women narrate their sacred Aboriginal dreamtime stories through song lines, dance cycles and body paint. Sand hills is also a place where the women gather edible bush tucker.

Artist:Pantjiya Nungurrayi
Title:Womens Ceremony
ID:0712880
Medium:Acrylic on Belgian Linen
Size:147 x 58 cm
Region:Kintore, Western Desert

Artist

Pantjiya Nungurrayi was born c.1936 at Haasts Bluff, prior to the mission being established. Her first contact with Europeans was as a young girl, when she and her family met with men who were travelling by camel and distributing rations.

During the latter part of the 70’s, Pantjiya lived with her family between Kungkiyunti Outstation, west of Haasts Bluff, and Papunya, before settling in Kintore soon after the community was established in the early 80’s.

Pantjiya is the widow of George Tjangala a well known artist and early member of the Papunya Tula Artists. Pantjiya has five sons and three daughters, one of her sons is Raymond Maxwell Tjampitjinpa, who also paints for Papunya Tula Artists.

Pantjiya Nungurrayi only began painting in the mid nineties painting a very distinctive style using the three traditional colours of black, white and yellow ochre.

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