Geraldine Napurrurla Wilson / Native Currant Dreaming (1678-26)

Artwork is accompanied by Warlukurlangu Artists (Yuendumu) Art Centre Certificate of Authenticity/Provenance

Geraldine Napurrurla Wilson is a Warlpiri artist who paints for Warlukurlangu Art Centre in the Northern Territory.

Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation of Yuendumu was incorporated in 1986. Warlukurlangu is a not for profit organisation that has more than 600 members, all of whom are Indigenous artists. It is directed by an executive committee of eight men and eight women representing all the ‘skin groups’. It meets regularly to set policy, make decisions about the organisation and direct staff.

Established in 1985 Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation is a not-for-profit organisation that is 100% Aboriginal-owned by its artists from the remote desert communities of Yuendumu and Nyirripi in Central Australia.

Warlukurlangu Artists is famous for its gloriously colourful acrylic paintings and limited edition prints. The art centre has a national and international profile and its art has been featured in hundreds of exhibitions and publications in Australia and around the world.

Warlukurlangu means ‘belonging to fire’ in the local language, Warlpiri, and is named for a fire dreaming site west of Yuendumu.

The custodians of the Yawakiyi Jukurrpa (native currant Dreaming) are Napurrurla/Nakamarra women and Jupurrurla/ Jakamarra men.

The ‘yawakiji’ tree is large and it bears small, black currant-like fruits. Traditionally the fruit would be gathered by women and placed in wooden food carriers. They are mixed with water before been eaten, although the ‘yawakiyi’ are sweet and can be also eaten straight off the tree. Shown in this painting are the Nakamarra and Napurrurla women collecting ‘yawakiyi’ at a place called Mititinyanyanu to the north-west of Yuendumu. The white flowers come out first then the ‘yawakiyi’ fruit grows after heavy rain. Magpie bird also eats the ‘yawakiyi’.

In contemporary Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, associated sites and other elements. In paintings of this Jukurrpa the branches of ‘yawakiyi’ are shown spread out across the country. The ‘U’ shapes represent women, while the oval shapes beside them usually depict ‘parrajas’, which are the food carriers used to collect the fruit.