Artist: Judith Martin
Size: 107cm x 107cm
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Story from the certificate of authenticity:
Janganpa Jukurrpa (common brush-tail possum [Trichosurus vulpecula] Dreaming) travels all over Warlpiri country. ˜Janganpa are nocturnal animals that often nest in the hollows of white gum trees (˜wapunungka). This story comes from a big hill called Mawurrji, west of Yuendumu and north of Pikilyi (Vaughan Springs). A group of ˜janganpa ancestors resided there. Every night they would go out in search of food. Their hunting trips took them to Wirlki and Wanapirdi, where they found ˜pamapardu (flying ants). They journeyed on to Ngarlkirdipini looking for water. A Nampijinpa women was living at Mawurrji with her two daughters. She gave her daughters in marriage to a Jupurrurla ˜janganpa but later decided to run away with them. The Jupurrurla angrily pursued the woman. He tracked them to Mawurrji where he killed them with a stone axe. Their bodies are now rocks at this place. Warlpiri people perform a young mens initiation ceremony, which involves the Janganpa Jukurrpa.
The Janganpa Jukurrpa belongs to Jakamarra/Jupurrurla men and Nakamarra/Napurrurla women. In Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent this Jukurrpa. ˜Janganpa tracks are often represented as ˜E shaped figures and concentric circles are used to depict the trees in which the ˜janganpa live, and also the sites at Mawurrji.
