Pikilyi Jukurrpaby Nancy Nungarrayi Collins

Pikilyi is a large and important waterhole and natural spring near Mount Dorreen station. Pikilyi Jukurrpa (Vaughan Spring Dreaming) tells of the home of two rainbow serpents, ancestral heroes who lived together as man and wife. The women rainbow serpent was of the Napanangka skin group, the man a Japangardi. This was a taboo relationship contrary to Aboriginal Warlpiri religious law. Women of the Napanangka and Napangardi subsection sat by the two serpents, picking lice off them. For this service, the two serpents allowed the women to take water from the springs at Pikilyi. This was because the serpents were ceremonial owners for that country. The spirits of these two rainbow serpents are still at Pikilyi today. This Dreaming belongs to the women and men of the Japanangka/Napanangka and Japangardi/Napangardi skin groups.

Artist:Nancy Nungarrayi Collins
Title:Pikilyi Jukurrpa
ID:1642-17
Medium:Acrylic on Canvas
Size:61 x 30 cm
Region:Yuendumu, Central Australia

Artist

Nancy Nungarrayi Collins comes from Yuendumu Community, approximately 300km from Alice Springs in Central Australia. Nancy has spent her life living at Yuendumu, attending the local school and later studying as a teachers assistant and working in the local school. Nancy along with several other of her family members paint for Warlukurlangu Artist based in Yuendumu. She has been painting with them since about 1995. Nancy paints her father Dreamings which include Snake Vine Dreaming and Pikilyi Jukurrpa. These Dreamings are based on the country, it's features, plants and animals.

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