Water Dreaming, 2005 by Julie Nangala Robertson 76x91cm

"Pirlinyanu Site - Water Dreaming, 2005" by Julie Nangala Robertson showcases her exceptional talent, which earned her the 2023 Telstra Aboriginal Art Award in the Best Painting category. This artwork depicts her 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 a significant location for the Water Dreaming due to its vital waterholes and abundant bush tucker. Those with traditional knowledge can access fresh water in the deep, naturally occurring wells by moving specific rocks. Without this insight, the desert landscape might appear waterless.

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.

Julie, the eldest of five daughters of Dorothy Napangardi Robinson, recently 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.