Pirlinyanu Dreaming by Julie Nangala Robertson 91x76cm Cat 9689JR

The eldest daughter of highly acclaimed artist, Dorothy Napangardi, Julie is following in her mother's footsteps. She was awarded the prestigious Telstra Aboriginal Art Award Best Painting category in August 2023.

Julie depicts her Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming), which is associated with her father’s traditional country of Pirlinyanu, a rocky outcrop in the Tanami Desert, west of Yuendumu and towards the WA border.

This rocky country with its significant waterholes and plentiful bush tucker is one of many significant locations for the Water Dreaming because if you know which rocks to move you always have access to fresh water in the deep natural occurring wells of Pirlinyanu. Without this knowledge one could imagine there was no water in this desert landscape. Ownership of country is passed down from the father (patrilineal) and ritual knowledge is passed on from auntie to niece (father’s sisters). In this case it is those of the Nampitjinpa and Nangala sub-section groups.

Using an aerial perspective along with a distinctive monochromatic palette, Julie’s paintings have become works of extraordinary optical brilliance as she alternates the size of dots throughout her work as well as building up specific shapes or reference points often by repeated overdotting.