Painting - Verona Nungarrayi Jurrah

Ngatijirri Jukurrpa (Budgerigar Dreaming) by Verona Nungarrayi Jurrah

Artwork story:

The Jukurrpa site shown in this painting for Ngatijirri (budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulates]) is at Yangarnmpi, south of Yuendumu. 'Ngatijirri' are small, bright green birds native to central Australia which are common around the Yuendumu area, especially after the summer rains. Men would hunt for 'ngatijirri' nests, robbing them of eggs and juvenile birds, which are both considered delicacies. The men would also go out hunting for adult, flying 'ngatijirri', which they would kill by swinging branches, killing sticks or 'karli' (boomerangs) to hit the birds in flight.

The ngatijirri travelled to Yangarnmpi from Patirliri, near Willowra to the east of Yuendumu and travelled further on to Marngangi, north/west of Mount Dennison and west of Yuendumu. Each time the flock of ancestral 'ngatijirri lands, they perform ceremonies, singing and dancing as they fly and roost in the trees. The sites of these ceremonies are depicted in this painting as concentric circles, while cross-like shapes depict the footprints of the birds on the ground and give an indication of the large flocks of 'ngatijirri that can be found near Yangarmpi and other sites close to Yuendumu.

After good rains 'ngatijirri' can successfully breed several times, resulting in an explosion of the population in a short time. Custodians for the Ngatijirri Jukurrpa are Napaljarri/Nungarrayi women and Japaljarri/Jungarrayi men.

About the supplier: 

Warlukurlangu Artists is one of the longest running and most successful Aboriginal-owned art centres in Central Australia. Read more

Product details: 

Dimensions: 300 x 300 mm prestretched

Material: Acrylic on canvas

Painted in Central Australia (NT)