Aboriginal Fine Art - WALANGKURA NAPANANGKA

Walangkura Napanangka was born in 1946 at Tjiturulnga, west of Walungurru (Kintore). She is the daughter of Inyuwa Nampitjinpa and Tutuma Tjapangati and sister of the Pirrmangka Napanangka. Her family was amongst a group of Pintupi people who made their way to the Ikuntji settlement (Haasts Bluff) in 1956. They walked hundreds of kilometres from west of the salt lake of Karrkurutinjinya (Lake Macdonald) to access the supplies of food and water on offer at the settlement. The family returned to their homelands community of Walungurru in 1981. 

Walangkura began her career through participating in the historic Kintore-Haasts Bluff collaborative canvas project ‘Minyma Tjukurrpa’ in 1995, and subsequently began painting for Papunya Tula Artists in 1996.  She now lives at Kiwirrkura with her husband and fellow artist Johnny Yungut Tjupurrula.

This painting represents designs associated with Sacred Site’s. Old women Kutungka  traveled from Malparingya, north-west of the Kintore community and visited the site of Papulnga, where there is an underground cave. The circles represent the edible berries known as KAMPURARRPA or desert raisin from small scrubs SOLANUM Centrale. Kutungka gathered these berries as she traveled. These berries are of great importance to the aboriginal people and are renowned for there medicinal properties. They are used in ceremonies by the elder women.