Medium: Acrylic on canvas.
Description:
The artist has painted the Bush Onion creation story, which she inherited from her grandmother Narputta Nangala Jugadai, and which she evokes with the wildflowers newly emerged after the rain. She paints the various stages of germination of the flowers in her works.
Bush onions grow after the rain and are collected by the women. The yalka are found underneath the surface and can be eaten raw or cooked in the hot sand next to the campfire.
Daphne was passed down the right to paint the Yalka Tjukurrpa at Karrkurutinytja (Bush onion dreaming at Lake Macdonald) from her grandmother, Narputta Nangala Jugadai. Narputta, who was a founding member of Ikuntji art centre and a prolific painter, was born close to this site.
Daphne says:
“My grandmother, Narputta used to make that painting. She told me that story. I used to work here (Ikuntji Women’s Centre) as a cook. I came to learn here. I saw my grandma painting. I learnt from her. She told me that story…Yalka…Bush food…For a long time those old ladies have been looking for Yalka, digging for Yalka, taking the fruit, cooking it in the fire. We cook them just a little bit, like Maku (witchetty grub). I have been looking for that Yalka with my grandmother.”
Yalka Tjukurrpa, as told by Narputta:
“Creek bed at Karrkurutinytja. Two old women, two Nungurrayi, came across from Pulpa and started Gathering bush onions, puttng them into coolamons. They went on a journey west. They approached a group of men and watched them, whilst hiding in the bushed at Pimarrpa (Soakage near Kiwirrkura). There was another lady, Alkiljarra Nakamarra, who came along on their tracks. She saw them where they had gathered bush onions. She became upset that they’d gathered them all up and there were none left. The Nakamarra started walking and came across the creek, where she started collecing mungilpa (a staple seed food for the Pintupi people). She came across two Tjangalas (Mungilnga and Tiwilgna). Next to them was a rockhole and Atjakalya Nakamarra, who was making damper for them. Mungilnga had the smaller damper. The two Tjangalas ate their damper then she flew off and became a rock there at Kurultu.”
Context:
This work was selected to be part of the 2021 French – Australian artist collaboration project “Dessin du territoire – Territoire du dessin (Land drawing – Land of drawing)“.