Lukarrara Jukurrpaby Vistaria Nakamarra Ross

This Jukurrpa belongs to the Nakamarra and Napurrurla women and the Jakamarra and Japurrurla men. This Dreaming is associated with a place called Jaralypari, north of Yuendumu Community in Central Australia. Lukarrara is a grass with an edible seed. The seeds are traditionally ground on a large stone with a smaller stone to make flour. This flour is miked with water to make damper cakes which are cooked and eaten.

In Warlpiri traditional paintings iconography is used to represent the Dreaming, particular sites associated with it and elements such as plants and animals. Large concentric circles are used to represent the site of Jaralypari and also the seed bearing Lukarrara. U shapes can often depict Karnta or women collecting the Lukarrara. Straight lines often represent the seeds falling down to the ground that are collected by women using coolamons and digging sticks. In this painting the central focus is Jaralypari with the fallen seeds depicted on either side.

Artist:Vistaria Nakamarra Ross
Title:Lukarrara Jukurrpa
ID:1504-17
Medium:Acrylic on Canvas
Size:30 x 30 cm
Region:Yuendumu, Central Australia

Artist

Vistaria Nakamarra Ross was borng in 1993 and comes from Yuendumu Community approximately 300km from Alice Springs in Central Australia. She is a third generation artist with her father being Victor Japurrurla Ross and her mother Dadu Nungarrayi Gorey, both of who have worked with Central Art. Her grandmother is Maggie Napaljarri Ross who is also an artist. Vistaria has always been surrounded by painting and art and would often spend her school holidays painting with family at Warlukurlangu Artists at Yuendumu.

Vistaria has been painting for Warlukurlangu Artists on a regular basis since 2013. She paints her father's Dreaming Yurrampi Jukurrpa (Honey Ant Dreaming) and from her mothers side she paints Ngurla Jukurrpa (Native Seed Dreaming). Her parents also share Dreamings including Janmarda (Bush Onion) and Warna (Snake) Dreamings. All these stories have been passed down through the family over the generations. These Dreamings directly relate to the land, it's features and the plants and animals that inhabit it. Vistaria uses an unrestricted palette of colours and has developed a modern interpretation of her Dreamings.

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