Nyirripi & Yuendumu Artists

The energy and excitement of exhibiting the timeless Jukurrpa stories of the Creation time is blended with the sense of innovation and the joy of colour, as artists from Nyirripi and Yuendumu prepared their latest exhibition for Japingka Gallery.

By bringing new techniques and styles to bear on their Jukurrpa, the Nyirrpi artists are re-telling their stories afresh and finding ways to depict their country with vision and raw intensity.

Patrick Japangardi Williams, an elder at Nyirripi says “I see them all painting. I see old people painting, they love their painting. They are doing really beautiful work. I go to another camp, and say: “oh, that’s really good!” It makes them all happy, old people and young people.”

The painting movement in the Central Desert communities has been a catalyst for the preservation of culture, a means to re examine the importance of culture as identity in communities. By reliving the stories, the songs, the ceremonies, these artists are able to package up their knowledge and display the most beautiful representations of their ageless culture.

“That’s why I like to do painting” says Nyirripi artist Christine Nakamarra Michaels.”It makes me happy, thinking of when my father would do painting. When we went to the gallery and I saw my grandmother’s painting and my sister’s painting I was really proud, my heart was really proud, my heart and my spirit were really happy.”

Twenty three separate Jukurrpa stories are represented in the list of paintings prepared for exhibition. The great Warlpiri stories that link the people through their skin groups and clans to the totemic sites and Creation stories, remain at the core of the social structure for these Warlpiri artists. This current exhibition celebrates the ongoing links between the people of Nyirripi and Yuendumu and their land and culture.

Nyirripi and Yuendumu Artists  is being exhibited at Japingka Gallery in Fremantle from 18 October  until 13 November. The gallery is open weekdays 10 – 5.30, and on weekends 12-5.

Further information is available on exhibiting artists on the following links:

• Alma Granites
• Judy Watson