Pirlinyanu by Julie Nangala Robertson, 122x61cm

"Pirlinyanu (Rockhole Dreaming)" by Julie Nangala Robertson, winner of the 2023 Telstra Aboriginal Art Award in the Best Painting category, masterfully depicts her Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming). This Dreaming 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.

Pirlinyanu is a significant location within the Water Dreaming due to its vital waterholes and abundant bush tucker. Traditional knowledge allows for the discovery of fresh water in the deep, naturally occurring wells by moving specific rocks. Without this knowledge, the desert landscape might appear barren and devoid of water. Ownership of this country is passed down patrilineally, while ritual knowledge is transmitted from aunt to niece (father’s sisters), specifically within the Nampijinpa and Nangala sub-section groups.

Julie employs an aerial perspective and a distinctive monochromatic palette in her paintings. Her technique involves alternating dot sizes and building specific shapes and reference points through repeated overdotting, creating works of extraordinary optical brilliance.

Recently, Julie, the eldest of five daughters of Dorothy Napangardi Robinson, changed the spelling of her surname to Robertson to align with her relatives in Yuendumu, correcting a misspelling by her father, Windy. Windy had two wives: Rene Robinson and Dorothy Robinson. Julie's art continues to preserve and celebrate the rich cultural heritage and natural beauty of her ancestral land.