Katjarra Butler Korrmanguntja

Korrmanguntja directly translates to ‘thunder is happening there’ or ‘a place of thunder’. This place is very important for Katjarra. She was born at this very site, to the north of Tjukurla in Western Australia. She has the strongest connection to this place though Pintupi/Ngaanyatjarra customs. At Korrmanguntja, when Katjarra’s mother was pregnant with her, a python (Kuniya) appeared in front of her. Katjarra’s mother killed the snake, and Kuniya became Katjarra’s totem. Katjarra’s mother believed that that very python was symbolic of the tjukurrpa python from this area. Kuniya, the creation python, travelled to Korrmanguntja, where the thunder instructed Kuniya to continue onwards to Patjantja, but with a warning.

Winston Green, grandson of Katjarra Butler, 2021

This work is now in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.