Water Dreaming, 2004 by Julie Nangala Robertson 152x76cm

"Pirlinyanu Site - Water Dreaming, 2004" by Julie Nangala Robertson is a masterpiece that uses an aerial perspective and a distinctive monochromatic palette to achieve extraordinary optical brilliance. This exceptional talent earned her the Best Painting category award at the Telstra Aboriginal Art Award in August 2023.

Julie employs two colors on a black background—ochre and blue-grey—to represent land and water, adding subtle depth to the painting. The theme is Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming), associated with her father’s traditional country of Pirlinyanu, a rocky outcrop in the Tanami Desert, west of Yuendumu and towards the Western Australia border.

Pirlinyanu is significant for its waterholes and abundant bush tucker. Those with traditional knowledge understand which rocks to move to access fresh water in the deep, naturally occurring wells of Pirlinyanu. Without this knowledge, the desert landscape might appear waterless.

Julie, the eldest of five daughters of Dorothy Napangardi Robinson, recently changed her surname spelling to Robertson, aligning with her relatives in Yuendumu after discovering her father, Windy, had misspelled it. Windy had two wives, Rene Robinson and Dorothy Robinson.