Sandhills and Kanakurlangu, Dorothy Napangardi 244x168cm

Sandhills and Kanakurlangu (2007) by Dorothy Napangardi – A Masterpiece of Women's Dreaming

Dorothy Napangardi’s Sandhills and Kanakurlangu (2007), measuring 244 x 168 cm, is a striking linear composition in white against black, depicting the sacred Mina Mina ceremonial site. This ancestral Country, located near Lake Mackay in the Tanami Desert, north of Yuendumu in the Northern Territory, is deeply significant in Warlpiri culture. Featuring two vast soakage areas and an expanse of undulating sandhills, Mina Mina is where Dorothy Napangardi and her Napanangka aunts performed sacred Jukurrpa (Dreaming) rituals, passing down knowledge through dance and song.

Dreaming Story and Symbolism

A strong central movement dominates the canvas, with intricate lines weaving in and out, representing the ancestral Napangardi and Napanangka women as they journeyed through Country. According to Dreaming narratives, these women gathered at Mina Mina to collect ceremonial digging sticks( kana or karlangu ) that emerged from the earth. They then moved eastward to Jankinyi, performing sacred songs and dances that shaped the land. Today, a majestic stand of Desert Oaks( Allocasuarina decaisneana ) marks the place where these sticks first surfaced.

Expansive Desert Landscape

The sweeping lines across the canvas evoke the vast, ever-changing terrain surrounding Mina Mina, from the cracked crust formations left by receding rainwaters to the spinifex-clad dunes and rolling sandhills. Dorothy Napangardi’s meticulous dot work and rhythmic patterns create a visual map of Country, capturing both the sacred energy and infinite movement of the land.

This significant work is featured across pages 21–22 of the monograph Honouring and Remembering the Art and Life of Dorothy Napangardi, 1987–2013 .

Explore the Artwork and Artist’s Process

The first image provides a close-up view of the intricate details of Sandhills and Kanakurlangu . Click through the images to see the entire painting, along with exclusive photos of Dorothy Napangardi at work, standing beside her completed masterpiece.