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ELIZABETH NYUMI NUNGURRAYI (born circa 1947)

Acrylic on Belgian linen
180 x 80 cm

This painting depicts the country known as Parwalla, which is Nyumi’s father ’s country. This country is far to the south of Balgo in the Great Sandy Desert, west of Kiwirrkura, and is dominated by tali (sand hills).  Parwalla is a large swampy area, which fills with water after the wet season rain and consequently produces an abundance of bush foods. The majority of Nyumi’s painting shows the different bush foods, including kantjilyi (bush raisin), pura (bush tomato) and minyili (seed). Women, shown as the U shapes, with their wana (digging sticks) and coolamons gathering the foods are also depicted. The whitish colours, which dominate the painting, represent the spinifex that grows strong and seeds after the wet season rains.

PROVENANCE
Warlayirti Artists, Balgo Hills, Western Australia, painted 2004,
Catalogue Number 879/04

Nyumi currently lives at Kururrungku (Billiluna), an outlying community from Balgo. Nyumi’s mother belonged to the country of Nynmi (Jupiter Well) near Kiwirrkurra on the Pintupi side. Tragically she died quite young from a dingo bite at the Kanari soak water close to Jupiter Well. Her father was from Alyarra in the region of Natajarra. Nyumi was living a nomadic existence with her family group on the Canning Stock Route before walking into Old Mission with her father after her mother had died. Nyumi married a man called Palmer Gordon who is now a senior Law Man of the Billiluna community. Both Nyumi and Palmer teach culture to the children at the school ensuring the traditional dances and songs are kept alive. Nyumi advises the nursing staff at the health clinic about traditional bush medicines and she is also
knowledgeable about carving coolimons and digging sticks. She is an active member in the community, being a strong law and culture woman.

REPRESENTED
National Gallery of Australia
National Gallery of Victoria
Art Gallery of Western Australia
Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, Darwin
Robert Holmes à Court Collection
The Laverty Collection