Details of Parwalla

Catalog Number : 26403
Size : 60cm x 45cm
Medium : acrylic on linen
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This painting depicts the country known as parwalla, which is Nyumi's fathers country. This country is far to the south of Balgo in the Great Sandy desert, west of Kiwirrkurra, and is dominated by tali (sandhills). 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 here 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 wetseason rains. These seeds are white in colour, and grow so thickly they obscure the ground and other plants below.