MINA MINA DREAMING 

This Jukurrpa / Dreaming comes from Mina Mina, a very important women s Dreaming site far to the west of Yuendumu near Lake Mackay and the WA border. The kirda / owners of this Dreaming are Napangardi/Napanangka women and Japangardi/Japanangka men; the area is sacred to Napangardi and Napanangka women. There are a number of mulju / water soakages and a maluri / clay pan at Mina Mina. In the Dreamtime, ancestral women danced at Mina Mina and karlangu / digging sticks rose up out of the ground. The women collected the digging sticks and then travelled on to the east, dancing, digging for bush tucker, collecting ngalyipi / snake vine [Tinospora smilacina], and creating many places as they went. Ngalyipi is a rope-like creeper that grows up the trunks and limbs of trees, including kurrkara / desert oak [Allocasuarina decaisneana. It is used as a ceremonial wrap and as a strap to carry parraja / coolamons and ngami / water carriers. Ngalyipi is also used to tie around the forehead to cure headaches, and to bind cuts. The women stopped at Karntakurlangu, Janyinki, Parapurnta, Kimayi, and Munyuparntiparnti, sites spanning from the west to the east of Yuendumu. When they stopped, the women dug for bush foods like jintiparnta / desert truffle [Elderia arenivaga]. The Dreaming track eventually took them far beyond Warlpiri country. The track passed through Coniston in Anmatyerre country to the east, and then went on to Alcoota and Aileron far to the northeast of Yuendumu and eventually on into Queensland. In Warlpiri paintings, traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa and other elements. In many paintings of this Jukurrpa, sinuous lines are used to represent the ngalyipi / snake vine. Concentric circles are often used to represent the jintiparnt /desert truffles that the women have collected, while straight lines can be used to depict the karlangu / digging sticks.

• Artist: Bevan Tjampitjinpa
  
• Title: Perentie at Waterhole
• Language: Anmatjere
• Region: Ti-Tree, NT
  
• Clan: Pmara Jutunta
  
• Dreaming: Ahgee (Bush Plum)
  
• Size: 43 x 25cm
  
• Medium: Acrylic on Canvas

Biography:

Bevan Tjampitjinpa was born in Darwin and grew up visiting his homeland. Bevan studied in Darwin until Year 10 before moving to Ti Tree which is his Grandmother, Grandfather and Mother’s country and later moved to live with his Elders on the Anmatjere Lands.
 
He lived permanently with his Elders for the next ten years being taught the traditional ways and being initiated into the ceremonies and laws of the desert region. Bevan speaks fluent Anmatjere and knows the traditional law and how to hunt for bush tucker and bush animals
 
Bevan was taught to paint by elders in his family. From an early age he was interested in his family’s art and wanted to learn how it was done. Bevan was encouraged to use both brush and stick to produce traditional art which took him a number of years to perfect.
 
Bevan was taught by Peggy Nungulla Reily, Beryl Pultura, Barbra Leo, Judith Ross, Tommy Mbtajana and Mark Cook. His training covered a variety of techniques which included Dreamtime symbology and how to interpret various landscape features into the canvas. He was also taught how to make spears, shields and fighting sticks (nulla nulla) which are an important part of the hunting stories he portrays.
 
Bevan uses the traditional symbols to reflect the men’s hunting forays that he has been involved in and the women’s hunting and gathering expeditions that he has joined them on, to tell a modern story of how his family group and clan currently live.

Bevan’s presentation of his artwork shows the world a beautiful and educational story of his culture, family group and the depth of spirituality of his people. Bevan’s focus is on hunting stories and shows the every day life of these traditional people and how they find and gather food for the family group. The main source of life for people in this harsh desert is the waterhole that he depicts in many of the artworks.
 
Bevan is passionate about his culture and his art and is an artist destined to succeed.