Margie Napurrurla Leo / Star (Seven Sisters) Dreaming (3A)

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

Margie Leo was born in the hospital in Alice Springs NT in 1975. Soon after her birth she returned to the remote community of Yuendumu where her large, extended family live. Yuendumu is located 300kms north west of Alice Springs on the Tanami Road. Margie grew up there, where she attended the local school.

Margie has been painting for Warlukurlangu Artists since 2011. Her paintings tell the creation stories that have been passed down to her from her ancestors. They describe the landscape and animals that are found in her traditional lands.

The Star (Seven Sisters) Dreaming depicts the story of the seven ancestral Napaljarri sisters who are found in the night sky today in the cluster of seven stars in the constellation Taurus, more commonly known as the Pleiades. The Pleiades are seven women of the Napaljarri skin group and are often depicted in paintings of this Dreaming carrying the Jampijinpa man ‘wardilyka’ (the bush turkey) who is in love with the Napaljarri-warnu and who represents the Orion’s Belt cluster of stars.

Jukurra-jukurra, the morning star, is a Jakamarra man who is also in love with the seven Napaljarri sisters and is often shown chasing them across the night sky. In a final attempt to escape from the Jakamarra the Napaljarri-warnu turned themselves into fire and ascended to the heavens to become stars. The custodians of the Napaljarri-warnu Jukurrpa are Japaljarri/Jungarrayi men and Napaljarri/Nungarrayi women.