Collection
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art
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Title
Minyma Tjuta Tjukurpa
2007
Artist
Wingu Tingima
Australia
circa 1935 - 08 Mar 2010
Language group
Pitjantjatjara, Southern Desert region
Artist profile
About
The Art centre documentation for this work states:
"Minyma Tjuta Tjukurpa (Seven Sisters Creation Story). This is a sacred story for women. Ngayuku ngura (this is my country), Kuru Ala. That man Wati Nyiiru was a cheeky man trying to get the big sister. He turned himself into a snake when all the women were digging for kuka (meat). They dug him up and ate him, but he tasted funny. All the sisters were sick. He is a Ngankari and turned himself into many things."
This story is described in more detail in Mary Knights, 'Wingu Tingima', Irrunytju Arts, Irrunytju Arts, Irrunytju (Wingellina), 2006, pg. 74:
"The seven sisters travelled from near Kaliwarra to Wannan in Western Australia stopping at significant sites and rockholes including Kuru Ala, a sacred place for women. As they walked across the desert they were followed by a wati kula-kula (lustful man) called Nyiru. He wanted to take one of the sisters as a wife, but he was an old man and they did not want him. Near Kuru Ala Nyiru pretended to be a wayanu (quandong) tree. The sisters gathered around to pluck the fruit but when they tasted it they realised that it was not wayanu but Nyiru trcking them. They ran away and hid in a cave, but he followed them, so they ran to another rockhole, where they saw a kuniya (python). The sisters knew the kuniya was really Nyiru so they killed and cooked him, then sang and danced inma."
Details
Date
2007
Materials used
synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Dimensions
194.0 x 199.0 cm stretcher
Credit
Purchased 2007
Location
Not on display
Accession number
269.2007

Place
Where the work was made
Sydney
Shown in 2 exhibitions
Exhibition history
Nganampa Nguraku Tjukurpa: stories from our home, Aboriginal and Pacific Art, Waterloo, 09 May 2007–02 Jun 2007
Sentient lands, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 04 Jun 2016–08 Oct 2017