98-24AS, Jennifer Ingkati, 200x200cm Acrylic on Belgian Linen, Adelaide Studio
Seven Sisters Story
This is a Tjukurpa (Creation Story) about the constellations of Pleiades and Orion. The sisters are the constellation of Pleiades, and the other star, Orion, is said to be the man Nyiru or Nyirunya. Nyiru is forever chasing the sisters known as the Kunkarunkara women, as it is said he wants to marry the eldest sister. The seven sisters travel again and again from the sky to the earth to escape Nyiru’s unwanted attention. They turn into their human form to escape Nyiru, but he always finds them, and they flee back to the sky.
As Nyiru is chasing the sisters, he tries to catch them by using magic to turn into the most tempting kampurarpra (bush tomatoes) for the sisters to eat and the most beautiful ili (fig) tree for them to camp under. However, the sisters are too clever for Nyiru and outwit him, as they are knowledgeable about his magic. They go hungry and run through the night rather than be caught by Nyiru. Every now and again, one of the women falls victim to his ways. It is said that he eventually captures the youngest sister, but with the help of the oldest sister, she escapes back to her sisters who are waiting for her. Eventually, the sisters fly back into the sky, reforming the constellation.
The APY Art Centre Collective is a social enterprise made up of 11 Aboriginal-owned and governed arts and culture organisations from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. As a collective, these organisations work to increase income for Aboriginal artists and support the important work of art centres in APY communities. This artwork was made at the APY Art Centre Collective-operated APY Studio in Adelaide, which provides APY artists with a satellite art centre for artists off ‘Country’. The APY Studio affords APY artists income stability alongside culturally appropriate support to access healthcare and the opportunity to maintain vital cultural and community connections when in Adelaide.
