Rockhole Site of Yumarra, 2004

91 x 121 cm

Est. $8,000 – $10,000

Hammer $7,500

Provenance: Bannan and Pallin Fine Art, NT, Cat No. obscured Private Collection, NSW
Artwork story: Nyurapayia Nampitjinpa - often referred to as Mrs Bennett - was born near the site of Yumari and began painting late in life after decades of ceremonial participation. This striking work depicts Yumarra, a significant rockhole site tied to women's ancestral activities, executed with a visual confidence that marks Nyurapayia's mature style. The concentric roundels at the painting's centre denote water sources and ceremonial gathering places, while the interstitial black fields and dotted borders suggest rock fissures, Spinifex, and the residual imprints of ancestral movement. Each oval motif radiates from a terracotta core, pulsing outward through fields of stippled paint - gestural echoes of songlines and ceremony. Informed by body paint designs and the tactile memory of place, the work offers not just a map of Country but an invocation of its spirit. With their resolute forms and lyrical complexity, Nyurapayia's paintings have become increasingly sought after by collectors for their uncommon narrative depth and cultural authority - particularly as one of the rare senior women to paint for Papunya Tula at the height of its expansion.

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Sale 1 · Lot 54

c.1935 – 2013

91 x 121 cm

Est. $8,000 – $10,000

Hammer $7,500

Provenance: Bannan and Pallin Fine Art, NT, Cat No. obscured Private Collection, NSW
Artwork story: Nyurapayia Nampitjinpa - often referred to as Mrs Bennett - was born near the site of Yumari and began painting late in life after decades of ceremonial participation. This striking work depicts Yumarra, a significant rockhole site tied to women's ancestral activities, executed with a visual confidence that marks Nyurapayia's mature style. The concentric roundels at the painting's centre denote water sources and ceremonial gathering places, while the interstitial black fields and dotted borders suggest rock fissures, Spinifex, and the residual imprints of ancestral movement. Each oval motif radiates from a terracotta core, pulsing outward through fields of stippled paint - gestural echoes of songlines and ceremony. Informed by body paint designs and the tactile memory of place, the work offers not just a map of Country but an invocation of its spirit. With their resolute forms and lyrical complexity, Nyurapayia's paintings have become increasingly sought after by collectors for their uncommon narrative depth and cultural authority - particularly as one of the rare senior women to paint for Papunya Tula at the height of its expansion.