Elaine Woods, Janice Woods and Venita Woods / Minyma Kutjara (Two Women) Dreaming (1A)

A Magnificent Family Collaboration by mother Elaine and two of her daughters – Janice and Venita

Elaine Woods was born in the bush at a waterhole close to the community of Docker River, NT in 1969 and grew up at the remote community of Irrunytju on the border of Western Australia and Northern Territory. She later moved to Kalgoorlie and then Esperance.

While Elanie was busy bringing up her 4 daughters (Julie, Janice, Venita and Casseyanne) she witnessed the strengthening of the art movement in the APY lands. In the early 2000’s, Elaine’s mother, Maringka Baker, picked up a paint brush for the first time and went on to become one of Australia’s most successful Indigenous artists. Elaine’s uncle was the great Jimmy Baker (c. 1915 – 2010), who was one of the most senior and highly respected men and artists in the APY lands. Both Maringka and Jimmy were the feature artists at the Australian National Gallery’s Culture Warriors Triennial.

Elaine started her artistic career in 2010 and hasn’t looked back. She has a deep connection to country which is expressed with beauty in her paintings.

The artist has painted Minyma Kutjara (Two women) Dreaming, passed down to her by her mother and her mother’s mother before her for millennia.

The older sister was travelling with her younger sister back to their homeland. The younger sister was hesitant to go further north as she had been living with another family near the sea to the south. She had been lost for a long time and didn’t know the country her older sister was showing her.

Her sister carried her and tried to comfort her. She was teaching her all about the country they travelled through. Sometimes they stopped to perform sacred singing and dancing. The further they went and the more singing and dancing they performed, the happier the little sister felt. They camped at Punuwara and Irrunytju rockhole before heading further north to Kaltukatjara (Docker River) and they were finally home.