STEPHEN JAKAMARRA WALKER

Stephen Jakamarra Walker lives in the remote indigenous community of Yuendumu on the Tanami Desert of Central Australia The community is located 300 kms north-west of Alice Springs. He has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists since 2017 He is the eldest son of Liddy Napanangka Walker who was one of the founding artists of the art centre in Yuendumu Stephen paints the stories that were passed down to him from his mother and his ancestors

This pirlarla (dogwood tree bean) Dreaming begins near Yumurrpa (a waterhole approximately 140km northwest of Yuendumu) and travels west It goes to the country near the Yiningnarra range south of Rabbit Flat and several hundred kilometers northwest of Yuendumu There , women of the Nakamarra and Napurrula subsections travelled and collected ‘pirlarla’ The ‘kirda’ (owners) of this Jukurrpa are Jakamarra/ Jupurrurla men and Nakamarra/Napurrurla women

Pirlarla are called bush beans They are the long seed pods of the wakirlpirri (dogwood [Acacia coriacea] tree), which grows on the sides of creek beds and near ‘mulga’ trees When it gets hot , women collect the pirlarla and cook them on the fire. They then crack them open and eat the ‘ngurlu’ (seeds) inside The seeds can be ground up and eaten They can also be dried , ground up, and mixed with water in a ‘parraja’ (coolamon) Women squeeze a liquid called ngungkarli or ‘yinjirrpi’ from them , which is sweet and good to drink

In contemporary Warlpiri paintings, traditional iconography can be used to represent the Jukurrpa, particular sites , and other elements Paintings of the ‘Pirlarla Jukurrpa’ often include designs that are painted onto women ' s bodies during their Yawulyu ceremonies. Long sinuous lines represent the ‘pirlarla’ (bush beans), while round circles represent the ‘wakirlpirri’ (dogwood trees) that they grow on Shorter curved lines can represent small pirlarla.