Artist: Norma Bryant
Size: 56 x 76cm / Acrylic on canvas , #21-214
Minyma Kutjara
Minyma Kutjara (Two women) is one of the most important women’s creation stories of the Western and Southern deserts and a special story for Irrunytju. It tells the story of the difficult journey of two sisters who travelled throughout these vast lands. The story is one that has been told many times through dance and painting. The places where the sisters travelled and rested can be traced through the desert, their actions often created landmarks, rock-holes and mountain ranges. Near Irrunytju the sisters sat on two hills and made hair belts in preparation for important women’s business. They threw their wana (digging stick) creating the rockhole here called Wana Wani. Born in Ernabella on the APY Lands of South Australia, Norma paints the Minyma Kutjara tjukurrpa (Two Sisters story), passed on by her aunt Kunytjil Cooper, a founding member of Irrunytju Arts. Norma grew up watching her family painting and telling stories. “My aunty, Mrs Cooper told me these stories. She was a great painter too. I have a lot of stories in my head that my aunty gave me of the Minyma Kutjara tjukurpa. I have to pass them on to my two sisters, my nieces, my daughter and grandchildren. It is very important to me that they know these stories.”
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