Janganpa Jukurrpaby Ursula Napanangka Butcher

Janganpa Jukurrpa or Brush-tail Possum Dreaming travels all over Warlpiri country. Janganpa are nocturnal animals that often nest in the hollows of white gum trees ('wapunungka'). This story comes from a big hill called Mawurrji, west of Yuendumu and north of Pikilyi (Vaughan Springs). A group of Janganpa ancestors resided there. Every night they would go out in search of food. Their hunting trips took them to Wirlki and Wanapirdi, where they found Pamapardu (flying ants). They journeyed on to Ngarlkirdipini looking for water. A Nampijinpa woman was living at Mawurrji with her two daughters. She gave her daughters in marriage to a Jupurrurla Janganpa but later decided to run away with them.

Artist:Ursula Napanangka Butcher
Title:Janganpa Jukurrpa
ID:2284-18NY
Medium:Acrylic on Canvas
Size:30 x 30 cm
Region:Yuendumu, Central Australia

Artist

Ursula Napanangka Butcher was born in 1982 and comes from Nyirripi Community approximately 160km to the south west of Yuendumu Community in Central Australia. Ursula works with Warlukurlangu Artists, a local art centre based in Yuendumu which works with Nyirrpi Community.

Ursula paints Janganpa Jukurrpa (Possum Dreaming) and her grandfather's Dreamings Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming) and Warna Jukurrpa (Snake Dreaming).

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