A solo exhibition showcasing Aboriginal artworks that portray stories relating to the ancient ritual of the spear straightening ceremony will open at Mitchell Fine Art on April 4th, 2018.
Mitjili Napurrula, a Pintupi artist from Central Australia paints ‘Watiya Juta’ the Desert Acacia, a source material for Aboriginal spear making and the central motif in her father’s dreaming – the story of the spear straightening ceremony.
Her paintings show the iconography of the trees, red sandhills and rocks of her father’s country to the west of Haasts Bluff in Central Australia.
Under the tutelage of her mother Napurrula began painting the female side to her father’s dreaming in 1993. Her works ‘Watiya Juta’ portray the topography of her father’s country, Uwalki, and the recurring tree motif, Watiya.
The Spear Straightening ceremony is an important Dreaming story dealing with tribal rivalries and ancient rituals and the process of spears being made for battle.
Director’s Talk: Saturday 7th April, 2pm
Image: Watiya Juta’, 200 x 200cm, acrylic on linen
