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Inma ~ Ceremony, 2022

$1,200.00

  • 140cm x 70cm
  • 2022
  • Acrylic On Linen
  • Catalog No: 1148-x2805-22

Desert painting is inextricably linked with the Tjukurpa or the Law and way of life of Anangu (Central and Western Desert Aboriginal people). The symbols of desert paintings were traditionally used in cave, ground and body paintings. Meaning of the designs depends on the subject of the painting and particular people are responsible for their re-creation and teaching according to the Tjukurpa. The dotting technique has become a Centralian tradition, evolving with the adaptation of traditional painting for public display and as a depiction of the landscape and its different habitats. This painting reflects strong culture: re-enacting ancestral travels, celebrating the sacred nature of the country and its interrelated plant, animal and human inhabitants. It refers to the teachings of Tjukurpa.This canvas shows minymaku inma or women’s ceremony – the singing, dancing and body painting which reveals the laws of nature and provides a blue print for life and a guiding map of country. Concentric circles mark places of importance: water points or sacred sites, created by the Ancestors. The sites are linked through the song cycles and stories and the people who still meet today to share and celebrate and pass on the different Tjukurpa and the links it forms with other parts of their country and kin. Many of the details of Tjukurpa are restricted to senior custodians and therefore the artist is unable to speak further about her painting.Coded within it however is intricate information about the country and its food and water sources as well as instructions for maintaining the balance and harmony of society.