Maxine Nungarrayi Tex / Bush Tomato Dreaming (3A)

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

Maxine Nungarrayi Tex was born in Alice Springs but has spent most of her time in Nyirripi and Yuendumu. Yuendumu is a remote Aboriginal community located 290km north-west of Alice Springs in the NT of Australia and Nyirripi is an Aboriginal community located a further 160km west of Yuendumu.

Maxine is the daughter of Peter Japaljarri Tex and Dulcie Napangardi Williams, who have painted with Warlukurlangu Artists and niece of Nora Napaljarri Nelson, who has also painted with Warlukurlangu Artists. Maxine attended the local school in Yuendumu and then Yirara College in Alice Springs. After she finished her schooling she returned to Nyirripi where she worked for a Child Care Centre.

In 2005 she moved to Yuendumu. She is married and has three children, two sons and a daughter. Maxine has been painting on and off since she left school. She paints her Karnta Jukurrpa stories, (Women’s Dreaming) but also likes to paint Wanakiji Jukurrpa (Bush Tomato Dreaming) from her father’s side.

When she’s not painting or looking after her children she likes to play softball and hunt goanna around Nyirripi and Yuendumu.

The Wanakiji Jukurrpa (bush tomato Dreaming) travels through Yaturlu (near Mount Theo, north of Yuendumu). “Wanakiji” grows in open spinifex country and is a small, prickly plant with purple flowers that bears green fleshy fruit with many small black seeds.

After collecting the fruit the seeds are removed with a small wooden spoon called ‘kajalarra’. The fruit then can be eaten raw or threaded onto skewers called ‘turlturrpa’ and then cooked over a fire. ‘Wanakiji’ can also be skewered and left to dry. When they are prepared in this way it is called ‘turlturrpa’ and the fruit can be kept for a long time.

In contemporary Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, particular sites and other elements.