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 Aboriginal
Paintings
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Aboriginal paintings are a rich and varied art
form. This online gallery offers a fine selection
of Australian Aboriginal paintings by artists from
communities in the Kimberley, Central and Western
Desert and Top End (including Arnhem Land) regions
of Australia.
The variety of painting styles in the regions
is described in our Regions
and communities section.
Paintings are arranged by regions - click on
the link to see paintings from a particular region.
If you want to read a short biography of the one
of the artists, go to the Art
and Artists section of our Website.
The prices below are in Australian dollars and
do not include packing, delivery and insurance
- use the "Enquire" button to confirm availability
of a painting and the cost of delivery. To check
the equivalent price in other currencies, use
the Currency Conversion
link. |
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Nellie Gordon |
| Title: |
Campsite at Sturt Creek |
| Price: |
$1540.00 in Australia
$1400.00 for Export. |
| PA789, 2002 |
| Natural ochre and pigments on canvas |
| 100 x 80 cm |
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This work shows a campsite on Sturt Creek on Billiluna Station in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The artist was born at this place beneath two large River Red Gums
shown in the lower left of the painting. Sturt Creek is shown running through the middle of the work and at this place there are permanent clear waterholes. Along the length of Sturt Creek the water varies as it winds its way toward the Great Sandy Desert, the water becomes salty at various stages and milky at others. |
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| Delivery charge for this item: |
| Australia |
$33 |
| North America |
$77 |
| Europe/Other |
$77 |
| Asia/Pacific |
$66 |
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Ned Johns |
| Title: |
Sugarbag Dreaming |
| Price: |
$715.00 in Australia
$650.00 for Export. |
| PA791, 2002 |
| Natural ochre and pigments on canvas |
| 60 x 80 cm |
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The artist's cultural totem is the Sugarbag Dreaming associated with country near Wave Hill Station in the western Northern Territory. Sugarbag is the honey and wax that is gathered from hives of native bees. Generally the hives are located in hollows in trees. When hunting people would set about looking for the bees and once they had located the hive they would cut the tree down and extract the sugarbag from the hollow. Once they had collected the sugerbag they would then place it in a billycan of water, boil it and then drink it or eat it whole without boiling it. After boiling, the wax was soft which made it pliable when used in the production of spears, axes and dress items. Traditionally the honey was crucial as a supplement to a bush tucker diet. The artist paints this story almost exclusively with a central point and radiating lines. The central point represents the hive or honey and the lines represent pathways that the native bees use to enter the hive, different colour dots are used to create patterns that give the work interesting depth. |
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| Delivery charge for this item: |
| Australia |
$33 |
| North America |
$77 |
| Europe/Other |
$77 |
| Asia/Pacific |
$66 |
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Rosie Mulligan |
| Title: |
Kakuru |
| Price: |
$605.00 in Australia
$550.00 for Export. |
| PA793, 2008 |
| Natural ochre and pigments on canvas |
| 60 x 80 cm |
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Kakuru is the Walmajarri word for freshwater mussels. Kakuru were an important food source when people lived a traditional lifestyle. They were dug from the sand in waterways near Lake Gregory in the Great Sandy Desert. |
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| Delivery charge for this item: |
| Australia |
$33 |
| North America |
$77 |
| Europe/Other |
$77 |
| Asia/Pacific |
$66 |
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Alma Nungarrayi Granites |
| Title: |
Yanjirlpirri or Napaljarri-Warnu Jukurrpa |
| Price: |
$1000.00 in Australia and Export. |
| PA827, 2015 |
| Acrylic on canvas |
| 61 x 76 cm |
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The Napaljarri-Warnu Jukurrpa (Seven Sisters Dreaming) depicts the story of the seven ancestral Napaljarri sisters who are found in the night sky today in the cluster of seven stars in the constellation Taurus, more commonly known as the Pleiades. The Pleiades are seven women of the Napaljarri skin group and are often depicted in paintings of this Jukurrpa carrying the Jampijinpa man ‘wardilyka’ (the bush turkey) who is in love with the Napaljarri-warnu and who represents the Orion’s Belt cluster of stars. Jukurra-jukurra, the morning star, is a Jakamarra man who is also in love with the seven Napaljarri sisters and is often shown chasing them across the night sky. In a final attempt to escape from the Jakamarra the Napaljarri-warnu turned themselves into fire and ascended to the heavens to become stars. Yanjirlpirri Jukurrpa (Star Dreaming) tells of the journey of Japaljarri and Jungarrayi men who travelled from Kurlurngalinypa (near Lajamanu) to Yanjirlypirri (west of Yuendumu) and then on to Lake Mackay on the West Australian border. Along the way they performed ‘kurdiji’ (initiation ceremonies) for young men. Women also danced for the ‘kurdiji’. The site depicted in this canvas is Yanjirlypiri (star) where there is a low hill and a water soakage. The importance of this place cannot be overemphasized as young boys are brought here to be initiated from as far as Pitjanjatjara country to the south and Lajamanu to the north. |
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| Delivery charge for this item: |
| Australia |
$33 |
| North America |
$77 |
| Europe/Other |
$77 |
| Asia/Pacific |
$66 |
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Agnes Nampijinpa Fry |
| Title: |
Yankirri Tjukurrpa |
| Price: |
$450.00 in Australia and Export. |
| PA829, 2015 |
| Acrylic on canvas |
| 46 x 76 cm |
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This particular site of the Yankirri Jukurrpa (emu Dreaming) is at Ngarlikurlangu, north of Yuendumu. The ‘yankirri’ travelled to the rockhole at Ngarlikurlangu to find water. Emus are usually represented by their ‘wirliya’ (footprints), arrow-like shapes that show them walking around Ngarlikurlangu eating ‘yakajirri’ (bush raisin). In the time of the Jukurrpa there was a fight at Ngarlikiurlangu between a ‘yankirri’ ancestor and Wardilyka (Australian bustard) ancestors over sharing the ‘yakajirri’. There is also a dance for this Jukurrpa that is performed during initiation ceremonies. |
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| Delivery charge for this item: |
| Australia |
$33 |
| North America |
$77 |
| Europe/Other |
$77 |
| Asia/Pacific |
$66 |
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Wendy Nungarrayi Brown |
| Title: |
Yanjirlpirri or Napaljarri-Warnu Jukurrpa |
| Price: |
$750.00 in Australia and Export. |
| PA818, 2016 |
| Acrylic on canvas |
| 46 x 122 cm |
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The Napaljarri-Warnu Jukurrpa (Seven Sisters Dreaming) is the story of the seven ancestral Napaljarri sisters who are found in the night sky today in the cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus, more commonly known as the Pleiades. The Pleiades are seven women of the Napaljarri skin group and are often depicted in paintings of this Jukurrpa carrying the Jampijinpa man ‘wardilyka’ (the bush turkey) who is in love with the Napaljarri-warnu and who represents the Orion’s Belt cluster of stars. Jukurra-jukurra, the morning star, is a Jakamarra man who is also in love with the seven Napaljarri sisters and is often shown chasing them across the night sky. In a final attempt to escape from the Jakamarra the Napaljarri-warnu turned themselves into fire and ascended to the heavens to become stars. Yanjirlpirri Jukurrpa (Star Dreaming) tells of the journey of Japaljarri and Jungarrayi men who travelled from Kurlurngalinypa (near Lajamanu) to Yanjirlypirri (west of Yuendumu) and then on to Lake Mackay on the West Australian border. Along the way they performed ‘kurdiji’ (initiation ceremonies) for young men. Women also danced for the ‘kurdiji’. The site depicted in this canvas is Yanjirlypiri (star) where there is a low hill and a water soakage. The importance of this place cannot be overemphasized as young boys are brought here to be initiated from as far as Pitjanjatjara country to the south and Lajamanu to the north. |
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| Delivery charge for this item: |
| Australia |
$33 |
| North America |
$77 |
| Europe/Other |
$77 |
| Asia/Pacific |
$66 |
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Jeanie Napangardi Lewis |
| Title: |
Mina Mina Jukurrpa |
| Price: |
$1000.00 in Australia and Export. |
| PA811, 2015 |
| Acrylic on canvas |
| 61 x 122 cm |
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The country associated with this Jukurrpa is Mina Mina, a place far to the west of Yuendumu. The Jukurrpa story tells of the journey of a group of women of all ages who travelled to the east gathering food, collecting ‘ngalyipi’ (snake vine) and performing ceremonies as they travelled. The women began their journey at Mina Mina where ‘karlangu’ (digging sticks) emerged from the ground. Taking these implements the women travelled east creating Janyinki and other sites. Their journey took them far to the east beyond the boundaries of Warlpiri country. The ‘ngalyipi’ vine grows up the trunks and limbs of the ‘kurrkara’ (desert oak) trees. ‘Ngalyipi’ is a sacred vine to Napangardi and Napanangka women that has many uses. It can be used as a ceremonial wrap, as a strap to carry ‘parrajas’ (wooden bowls) that are laden with bush tucker and as a tourniquet for headaches |
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| Delivery charge for this item: |
| Australia |
$33 |
| North America |
$77 |
| Europe/Other |
$77 |
| Asia/Pacific |
$66 |
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Jennifer Napaljarri Lewis |
| Title: |
Lukarrara Jukurrpa - Desert Fringe-rush Seed Dreaming |
| Price: |
$650.00 in Australia and Export. |
| PA803, 2010 |
| Acrylic on canvas |
| 46 x 107 cm |
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This Dreaming is associated with a place called Jaralypari, north of Yuendumu. Lukarrara (desert fringe-rush) is a grass with an edible seed. The seeds are traditionally ground on a large stone (‘ngatinyanu’) with a smaller stone (‘ngalikirri’) to make flour. This flour is mixed with water (‘ngapa’) to make damper cakes which are cooked and eaten. Large concentric circles often represent the site of Jaralypari and also the seed bearing grass Lukurrara. ‘U’ shapes can depict the Karnta (women) collecting ‘lukarrara’ and straight lines are frequently used to portray seeds that fall down to the ground and are also collected by women using their ‘parrajas’ (wooden food carriers) and ‘karlangu’ (digging sticks). |
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| Delivery charge for this item: |
| Australia |
$33 |
| North America |
$77 |
| Europe/Other |
$77 |
| Asia/Pacific |
$66 |
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