Pirlinyanu (Diptych) by Julie Nangala Robertson, 60x60cm overall
Pirlinyanu (2004) by Julie Nangala Robertson
Pirlinyanu (2004) by Julie Nangala Robertson is a striking diptych, with each panel measuring 30 x 60 cm. Inspired by her mother, the esteemed artist Dorothy Napangardi, Julie embraces the tradition of multi-panel artworks, a technique her mother pioneered. Just as Dorothy won the Best Painting category in the 1991 Telstra Aboriginal Art Award, Julie received the same honour in 2023. She hopes to follow in her mother’s footsteps by, in the future, winning the Overall Category.
Julie’s painting depicts her Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming), which is intrinsically linked to her father’s traditional country of Pirlinyanu, a sacred rocky outcrop in the Tanami Desert, west of Yuendumu and extending towards the Western Australia border. She has chosen a striking palette of blue-grey and yellow ochre dotting against a deep black background, creating a visually powerful and immersive depiction of this ancient landscape.
Pirlinyanu is a place of great cultural and environmental significance, known for its deep natural wells, which provide essential fresh water even in the harshest dry conditions. Those who possess ancestral knowledge understand which rocks to move to access these hidden water sources, a skill that has ensured survival in this vast desert for generations. Without this knowledge, one might assume that water is entirely absent from the land.
The eldest of five daughters of Dorothy Napangardi, Julie recently adjusted the spelling of her surname to Robertson, aligning with her extended family in Yuendumu. Her father, Windy Robertson, had originally spelled it as "Robinson," though most of her relatives carry the Robertson name.
This work is a testament to Julie Nangala Robertson’s evolving artistic practice, blending traditional Warlpiri storytelling with contemporary Aboriginal art. Through Pirlinyanu (2004), she continues to honour her cultural heritage while forging her own path as a leading Indigenous Australian artist.