Minyma Tingari (Women's Dreaming), 2000 by Barbara Napangarti Reid 122x198cm Cat 4978BR

"Minyma Tingari (Women's Dreaming), 2000" by Barbara Napangarti Reid encapsulates the secret and sacred Tingari Cycle from the Tjukurrpa (Creation Era). This painting weaves together story, song, and ceremony, narrating the journeys of Tingari ancestors who traveled vast stretches of the country, performing rituals that formed the land's features. The depicted site is Tjukurla, in the Gibson Desert, Western Australia, where Reid serves as custodian.

In this artwork, Reid illustrates Tingari women gathered for ceremony, represented by U shapes. They are shown working within their country, gathering pintalypa (bush apples), and erecting windbreaks. The long shapes symbolize women's dancing boards, which they paint along with their breasts using symbols related to their dreaming. During the ceremony, the women hold the painted boards and dance with them. The comb-like arc shapes represent their hair string belts used in the rituals.

The painting also features puli (rock formations) depicted by stratified, elongated U shapes and tali (sweeping sand dunes) shown through waving horizontal lines. This traditional method of representing geographic formations is rooted in the body paint worn by Ngaanyatjarra women during sacred ceremonies.

Barbara's choice of colours beautifully captures the warmth of the Central Australian desert, while her use of closely woven lines and textural paint evokes the shimmer of a hot summer's day. "Minyma Tingari" is a vivid cultural artifact that celebrates the rich heritage and spiritual traditions of the Ngaanyatjarra people, recognized in numerous National Collections and exhibitions across Australia.