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JUDITH NUNGARRAYI MARTIN
from CROSSING COUNTRY
Judith Nungarrayi Martin was born in 1976 in Alice Springs Hospital Judith comes from a family of artists. Her mother is Helen Nampijinpa Robertson and her grand-father is Shorty Jangala Robertson , both well-known artist who paint for Warlukurlanga Artists
After finishing school in Alice Springs she returned to Yuendumu She moved to Nyrripi in 1991 where she later married a ‘Nyrripi boy’ They have 3 sons and 1 daughter Judith has been painting with Warlukurlangu since 1994
As a young child she would watch her family paint and listen to their stories Although her production of artwork was initially sporadic –she began to paint full time when she had her sons and daughter
Judith paints her fathers Jukurrpa (Dreamings), that include Janganpa Jukurrpa (Brush Tail Possum Dreaming) and Yankirri Jukurrpa (Emu Dreaming) She has exhibited in group exhibitions in Melbourne , Sydney and Japan. She uses an unrestricted palette to develop a modern interpretation of her traditional culture
Janganpa Jukurrpa (common brush-tail possum [Trichosurus vulpecula] Dreaming) travels all over Warlpiri country ‘Janganpa’ are nocturnal animals that often nest in the hollows of white gum trees (wapunungka). This story comes from a big hill called Mawurrji, west of Yuendumu and north of Pikilyi (Vaughan Springs)
A group of janganpa ancestors resided there Every night they would go out in search of food Their hunting trips took them to Wirlki and Wanapirdi where they found ‘pamapardu’ (flying ants)
They journeyed on to Ngarlkirdipini looking for water A Nampijinpa women was living at Mawurrji with her two daughters She gave her daughters in marriage to a Jupurrurla janganpa but later decided to run away with them The Jupurrurla angrily pursued the woman He tracked them to Mawurrji where he killed them with a stone axe.
Their bodies are now rocks at this place Warlpiri people perform a young men ’ s initiation ceremony, which involves the Janganpa Jukurrpa. The Janganpa Jukurrpa belongs to Jakamarra/ Jupurrurla men and Nakamarra/Napurrurla women
