Doris Bush Nungarrayi Kapi tjukurrpa Nyumannu

‘Piintingi ngaatja panya Nyumannu lawana, panya palumpa paapaku ngurra, ulparirra kakararra Walungurru. Panya rawunu ngururrpa palatja rakula nyangutja ngurra palulawana, panya watiya, tjanpi, yukiri, mititjina tjata ngurarra tarra, mangarri kaliny kalinypa tarra. Paluru panya maku tarra wangkangi watiya itarangka manytjini. Kanya kuntju tjukarurruwana karnpatjangka tali tarra ngaranyi ngurra palunya tjatiyi.’

Doris Bush Nungarrayi, 2023 (Luritja translation by Patricia Phillipus Napurrula)

In this quote, Doris Bush Nungarrayi explains that she has painted the site of Nyumannu, south-east of the remote Aboriginal community of Walungurru/Kintore in the Northern Territory. This is her mother’s Country. Nungarrayi’s circular roundel indicates the main rock hole found in this area, while the surrounding shapes indicate the trees, shrubs, grasses, maku (witchetty grubs) and bush medicine plants. Scratched, linear marks, which border both flora and fauna, symbolise the shifting tali (sandhills) that surround the area.

Nungarrayi is a senior artist working from Papunya Tjupi Arts. This is her first time in the Wynne Prize. She is also the winner of this year’s Sulman Prize.