Josephine Nangala

Pintupi Language Group

Untitled

Ref No: JN0608149

sOLD

This painting depict designs associated with the rockhole site of Marrapinti, west of the Kiwirrkura community in Western Australia. During ancestral times a group of women gathered at this site to perform the dances and songs associalted with the area. The women also made nose-bones which are worn through a hole in the nose-web. These nose-bones were originally worn by both men and women but are now only worn by the older generation on ceremonial occasions.
The group later travelled east passing through Ngaminya, Wirrulnga and Wilkinkarra (Lake Mackay), collecting the edible berries known as kampurarrpa or desert raisin. These berries can be eaten directly from the plant or ground into a paste and cooked on coals to make a type of damper.

Josephine was born circa 1950 and grew up in country north of Jupiter Well in Western Australia. Her first contact with European people was with cattlemen in the same area, who provided her family with meat. Josephine lived in Balgo before moving to the Kiwirrkura community with her husband Charlie Wallabi Tjungurrayi. In 1999 Josephine contributed to the Kiwirrkura womens' painting as part of the Western Desert Dialysis appeal.