Wirrirrpi

Wirrirrpi is the artist’s mother’s and sister’s country, and it is a place in the Western Desert where Dreamtime Creation women came to make Kampurarrpa (bush currant) and Pirntjalpa (bush tomato). These are both important bush foods for Ngaanyatjarra people, and Wirrirrpi is a ceremonial site for the increase of these plants in the landscape. It is especially sacred to women and has a great song cycle. The painting shows the Dreamtime Women planting the Kampurarrpa and Pirntjalpa at places joined by a great Dreamtime hair belt, woven for this Creation ceremony. This is seen as the orange motif which dominates the central areas of the painting, and Pirntalpa is seen as both the blue fern-like motif in one corner and, at a different stage of its preparation as food, as the blue shapes on the opposite side. Among these, shaped like a magnifying glass, is a spear thrower with a dish carved over it’s length, used to winnow this wild food. Other areas show the women represented as orange circles, which are the woven Manguri, head rings used to carry dishes whilst moving about.