Yankirri Jukurrpa (Emu Dreaming) — by Jeffrey Jangala Gallagher
acrylic on canvas
stretched 152 cm x 76 cm
About the Artwork
Yankirris (Emu) footprints hover over a landscape of earth tones, their layers of creation energy bringing life and fertility to country.
ABORIGINAL DREAMTIME STORY
Yankirri Jukurrpa
Artist: Jeffrey Jangala Gallagher
This piece tells the story of 'yankirri' travelling to the rockhole at Ngarlikurlangu to find water. In the time of the Jukurrpa there was a fight between a yankirri ancestor and a Wardilyka (Australian bustard) ancestor over sharing the 'yakajirri' (bush raisin).
In contemporary Warlpiri paintings, traditional iconography is used to represent the 'Jukurrpa' (Dreaming), associated sites and other elements. Yankirri (emu) are usually represented by their 'wiriya' (footprints), arrow like shapes that show them walking around Ngarlikurlangu eating 'yakajirri' (bush raisin).
