Sandhill and Bullock Dreamingby Corinne Nampijinpa Ryan

This Dreaming is located west of Alice Springs, between the Aboriginal community of Papunya and Glen Helen Gorge in Central Australia. This Dreaming is from the 'Ngalyarrpa' (sand-hill) country. It tells a story from the life of Nampijinpa's maternal grandmother, Japaljarri. Japaljarri was employed to ride alone on horseback through the sand-hill country and look for 'Puluku' (bullock cows) to put in yards. The job took him to many places between Nyirripi, a Warlpiri community approx. 160km west of Yuendumu and Coniston, a cattle station east of Yuendumu. The trip also took through Wakulpa, an outstation to the north of Yuendumu that is situated at the base of some 'Pirli' (hills). In this painting, the sinuous lines from the upper right to lower left represent the 'Ngalyarrpa' (sandhills). The sinuous lines from the upper left to lower right represent the tracks of various animals, including 'Nantuwu' (horses) and Puluku. The dots enclosed with these lines show the cows trapped in the yard.

Artist:Corinne Nampijinpa Ryan
Title:Sandhill and Bullock Dreaming
ID:5484/15
Medium:Acrylic on Belgian Linen
Size:76 x 46 cm
Region:Yuendumu, Central Australia

Artist

Corinne Nampijinpa Ryan was born in 1980 in Alice Springs in the NT of Australia. She is the daughter of Pamela Nungarrayi Ryan and has one brother and four sisters. She attended the Catholic High School in Alice Springs where she completed Year 10. Corinne moved to Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community 290 kms north-west of Alice Springs, when she married Quentin Japangardi Granites. Quentin is the son of Alma Nungarrayi Granites, a successful artist working with Warlukurlangu Artist. Corinne and Quentin have one son Farrison, born in 2001.

Corinne has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artist Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu, since 2007. She paints her husband’s Jukurrpa stories, Dreamings which relate directly to his land, its features and the plants and animals that inhabit it. She also paints her mother’s Jukurrpa, Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming) which depicts a rockhole west of Alice Springs and Warna Jukurrpa, (Snake Dreaming) representing her land east of Papunya. Corinne uses an unrestricted palette to develop a modern interpretation of her traditional culture.

“Sometimes I paint then sit down and read the bible”. Corinne finds painting very meditative and spiritual. When she is not painting or looking after her son she enjoys her home and is house proud, creating a clean home to share with family and friends, and to watch movies.

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