PARWALLA, 2003
ELIZABETH NYUMI NUNGURRAYI
synthetic polymer paint on linen
180.5 x 150.5 cm
bears inscription verso: artist's name, size and Warlayirti artist’s cat. 1009/03
Warlayirti Artists, Balgo Hills, Western Australia
GrantPirrie, Sydney
Private collection, Sydney
Balgo a Go Go, GrantPirrie, Sydney, June 2004
This work is accompanied by a copy of the certificate of authenticity from Warlayirti Artists which states:
'This painting depicts the country known as Parwalla which is Nyumi's father's country. This country is south of Balgo in the Great Sandy Desert, west Kiwirrkurra. The landscape of the area is dominated by tali, or sand dunes. The Parwalla area is a swampy area, filling a huge area with water after the wet season rain. These wet season rains result in an abundance of good bush tucker. The majority of the painting shows the different bush foods, including kantjili, or bush raisin, and minyili. Women, the U shapes, with their wana (digging sticks) and collimons are also depicted. The white colour, which dominates the painting represents the spinifex which grows strong and seeds after the we season rains. These seeds are white in colour, and grow so thickly they obscure the ground and other plants below.'