Yanjirlpirri or Napaljarri-Warnu Jukurrpa (Star or Seven Sisters Dreaming) Yanjirlpirri or Napaljarri-Warnu Jukurrpa (Star or Seven Sisters Dreaming) (2014) by Alma Nungarrayi GranitesAustralian Museum
Australia is home to some of the oldest painting cultures on earth. In recent years, many aboriginal artists have been reviving and promoting their traditions. One such artist is Alma Nungarrayi Granites, a Warlpiri woman who lived at Yuendumu between 1955 and 2017.
This painting depicts the hills of Yanjirlpirri, a very important sacred site near Yuendumu, where young boys are brought for initiation into manhood. In the night sky above the site are the Napaljarri sisters, a cluster of seven stars within the constellation Taurus.
Stories, known as Dreamings, about these stars are told across Australia. In the Warlpiri Dreaming, called Napaljarri-Warnu Jukurrpa, the Napaljarri sisters are said to be carrying a man called Wardilyka, who is in love with the women.
Jukurra-jukurra, the morning star, is a Jakamarra man who is also in love with the seven sisters and chases them across the night sky. To escape from the Jakamarra man, the seven sisters turn themselves into fire and jump into the sky.
In the Napaljarri-Warnu Jukurrpa, the rocks of Yanjirlpirri are made from stars that have fallen from the sky. Alma Nungarrayi Granites emphasises this unity of sky and land in her painting, where the dotted circles of the land resemble those of the stars above.
The Napaljarri-Warnu Jukurrpa is one of the most important Dreamings of the Walpiri people and is closely associated with secret ceremonies. The custodians of the Napaljarri-Warnu Jukurrpa pass this story on through song and dance.
However, it's important to know that aboriginal Australian culture isn't static, but living and changing. While this style of painting resembles much, much older works of aboriginal art, it actually represents very recent trends and individual styles, known as kuruwarri.
You can learn more about Alma Nungarrayi Granites and the Napaljarri-Warnu Jukurrpa in this video documenting her practice. See also how contemporary aboriginal artists are developing their own personal styles.
