STORY - Warlu Hair Set Blue

Story: Goanna Dreaming
Artist: Melissa Napangardi Williams 

This painting depicts the Goanna Dreaming story. The story goes that a Japandardi man named Wamaru travelled south and approached a group of women that were sitting in a circle. He wanted to woo a Nungarrayi woman who was the "wrong skin for him." By tribal law, their relationship would be taboo. Still, he chose to pursue her and they went up the hill at Yarripilangu where they made love. The earth there turned to white ochre and the man turned himself and all of the women into goannas. To this day, white ochre can be found at the top of the hill. The ochre is used for love magic and ceremonial decoration.

Story: Lukarrara
Artist: 
Margie Napurrurla Leo 

'Lukarrara' is the traditional name for desert fringe-rush - a special grass with an edible seed used to make flour. In traditional Warlpiri paintings, iconography is used to represent elements of stories. The concentric circles represent the Lukarrara grass, while U shapes often depict the women collecting the seeds.

Story: Water Dreaming 
Artist: 
Marissa Napanangka Anderson 

The site of this painting is Puyurru. Here in the usually dry creek beds are naturally occurring wells. Two Jangala men - rainmakers - sang the rain, unleashing a giant storm. The storm travelled across the country - from east to west - building as it travelled through many different dreaming sites, spreading water across the country.