NMA collection record

'Yawalurra (Yawalyurru)' by Dinny Nolan Tjampitjinpa, 1975


This acrylic painting depicts a ceremonial performance of the Yawalyurru (Native Currant) Dreaming story. Accused of causing the death of another totem leader, the Yawalyurru ancestor is pursued by a kutatji (revenge killer), depicted as the U shape alongside the large circles. The lines on each side represent the river of blood or dark red juice of the crushed Yawalyurru fruit, which flowed into the desert and collected in a waterhole. From here it was drunk by younger men for its life force. The same design is repeated to give the painting its symmetry, a common feature of Anmatyerr artists' work. The painting is by Dinny Nolan Tjampitjinpa and measures 2,010 mm x 1,714 mm. This resource includes a line diagram illustrating the symbols used in the painting and a map showing sites of significance.

Educational value

Dinny Nolan Tjampitjinpa (c1946-) is the younger 'brother' of Kaapa Tjampitjinpa and a cousin of Clifford Possum, Tim Leura and Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri, all Papunya Tula artists. He is from the Warlpiri language group and was born west of Mount Allan, near present-day Yuendumu. He worked as a stockman before settling in Papunya to paint for Papunya Tula in the mid-1970s. In 1981 he visited Sydney with Paddy Carroll Tjungurrayi to construct the first ground painting to be seen outside of central Australia, on Observatory Hill.




