Sharlene Nakamarra Nelson / Dogs that Live in Yuendumu (1B)

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

Sharlene Nakamarra Nelson was born in 1996 to Patricia Nungarrayi Spencer and Simon Jupurrurla Nelson. She was born in Alice Springs Hospital, the closest hospital to Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community 290km north-west of Alice Springs in NT of Australia.

Sharlene’s father’s grand-mother was Daisy Napanangka Nelson, one of the founding members of Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation. Sharlene is related to many Warlukurlangu Artists including Mary Napangardi Butcher, Wilma Nampijinpa Robertson and Narelle Nakamarra Nelson. Sharlene still attends school. She began her studies at the local school in Yuendumu and in 2011 left home to continue her studies at Shalom Christian College, Townsville, where they offer campus boarding facilities for secondary students. She enjoys school, plays sport particularly basketball and loves music such as rap and reggae. When she is on holidays she helps out at the Warlukurlangu Art Centre and paints with her family. She likes to paint Janganpa Jukurrpa (Brush-tail Possum) and Marlu Jukurrpa (Kangaroo Dreaming), dreamings passed down from her father’s side and from his father’s side before him for millennia. When she’s home she also likes to go hunting with her family.

This painting depicts some of the ‘jarntu’ or ‘maliki’ (dogs) that live in Yuendumu. Families in Yuendumu tend to own many dogs. They are good ‘marlpa’ (company). Many people think of their dogs as ‘warlalja’ (family). Dogs in Yuendumu like to follow their owners around whenever they can.

Some people use their dogs to help them hunt ‘marlu’ (kangaroo) and ‘wardapi’ (goanna), amongst other animals. People also have dogs to protect themselves from intruders, monsters, and other things that might try to hurt them and their family. Many monsters are invisible to ‘yapa’ (Aboriginal people). However, dogs are able to see and smell them. Dogs will warn ‘yapa’ about them or steer them away from the monsters, and thereby keep them safe.

‘Jarntu’ or ‘maliki’ also feature in a number of ‘Jukurrpa’ (Dreaming) stories. One ‘maliki Jukurrpa’ (Dog Dreaming) comes from a site called Pindara, southwest of Yuendumu. Another dog Dreaming story, ‘malikijarra Jukurrpa’ (two dogs Dreaming), comes from country adjacent to Warlarla (Rabbit Flat). This site is part of a long Dreaming track that stretches from Yarrajalpa in the extreme west of Warlpiri country to Warlaku (Ali Curung) in the east. This Dreaming story describes proper conduct in families and marriages.