Pikilyi Jukurrpaby Selina Napanangka Fisher

Pikilyi is a large and important waterhole and natural spring near Mount Dorreen station. Pikilyi Jukurrpa means Vaughan Spring Dreaming tells the story of the home of two rainbow serpents, ancestral heroes who lived together as man and wife. The women rainbow serpent was of the Napanangka skin group, the man a Japangardi. This was a taboo relationship contrary to Aboriginal Warlpiri religious law. Women of the Napanangka and Napangardi subsection sat by the two serpents, picking lice off them. For this service, the two serpents allowed the women to take water from the springs at Pikilyi. This was because the serpents were ceremonial owners for that country. The spirits of these two rainbow serpents are still at Pikilyi today. This Dreaming belongs to the women and men of the Japanangka/Napanangka and Japangardi/Napangardi skin groups.

Artist:Selina Napanangka Fisher
Title:Pikilyi Jukurrpa
ID:329-13NY
Medium:Acrylic on Canvas
Size:30 x 30 cm
Region:Yuendumu, Central Australia

Artist

Selina Napanangka Fisher comes from Yuendumu Community approximately 300km from Alice Springs in Central Australia. Selina is the granddaughter of the late Topsy Napurrurla Fisher, an established and well known artist. Growing up in Yuendumu Selina eventually relocated to Nyirripi where she met her husband, Lance Tanner and together they have three children. Selina has been painting with Warlukurlangu Aritsts, an art centre located in Yuendumu Community which visits regularly with Nyirripi Community, since 2006. As a young girl she would often watch her grandmother paint and was taught her Dreamings through this process. Selina paints her father's Dreamings of Pikilyi (Vaughan Springs Dreaming) and Kartna Jukurrpa (Women's Dreaming).

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