CONTEMPORARY ART STOCKROOM Sabrina Nangala Robertson

Sabrina Nangala Robertson was born in Alice Springs Hospital, the closest hospital to Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community 290 north-west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. She is the daughter of the acclaimed Aboriginal artist Dorothy Napangadi. Sabrina grew up in Yuendumu and went to the local school. She now alternates between living in Yuendumu and Alice Springs. She has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation since 2005. She paints her father’s Jukurrpa or Dreaming, stories passed down to her by her father and her father’s father before her for millennia. These stories relate to her traditional land, Pirlinyarnu (Mt Farewell), its features and the plants and animals that inhabit it. Sabrina has exhibited in Australia and in France.

The country associated with this Jukurrpa is Mina Mina, a place far to the west of Yuendumu, which is significant to Napangardi/Napanangka women and Japangardi/Japanangka men. All of them are the custodians of the Jukurrpa that created the area. The Jukurrpa story tells of the journey of a group of women of all ages who travelled to the east gathering food, collecting ‘ngalyipi’ (snake vine) and performing ceremonies as they travelled. The women began their journey at Mina Mina where ‘karlangu’ (digging sticks) emerged from the ground. Taking these implements the women travelled east creating Janyinki and other sites. Their journey took them far to the east beyond the boundaries of Warlpiri country. The ‘ngalyipi’ vine grows up the trunks and limbs of the ‘kurrkara’ (desert oak) trees. ‘Ngalyipi’ is a sacred vine to Napangardi and Napanangka women that has many uses. It can be used as a ceremonial wrap, as a strap to carry ‘parrajas’ (wooden bowls) that are laden with bush tucker and as a tourniquet for headaches.

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Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming) Pirlinyarnu #6267/21 2021
acrylic on canvas, stretched
107cm x 152cm
Reserved

Ngapa Jukurrpa 6063-22 2023
acrylic on canvas, unstretched
30cm x 122cm
$1,650 AUD