CUSHION COVER WOOL 40cm

These beautiful, unique textiles are a cross -cultural collaboration combining Aboriginal designs and tradional Kashmiri handicraft. The chain-stitched (Gabba in local Kashmiri) cushions are hand stitched by

rural folk in remote villages in one specific region of Kashmir. Over generations they have honed their skills and refined their hand crafted produce. Only the most skilful artisans can faithfully reproduce the images we send to them. Aboriginal artists in remote regions in Australia, as well as others living in the cities, benefit from regular royalties paid monthly, as well as using these products to tell other people about their rich cultural heritage.

The site depicted in this painting is Puyurru, west of Yuendumu. At Warlura, a gecko called Yumariyumari blew the storm on to Lapurrukurra and Wilpiri. Bolts of lightning shot out at Wirnpa (also called Mardinymardinypa) and at Kanaralji. At this point the Dreaming track also includes the kurdukurdu mangkurdu Jukurrpa (children of the clouds Dreaming). The water Dreaming built hills at Ngamangama using baby clouds and also stuck long pointy clouds into the ground at Jukajuka, where they can still be seen today as rock formations.The termite Dreaming eventually continued west to Nyirrpi, a community approximately 160 km west of Yuendumu. The water Dreaming then travelled from the south over Mikanji, a watercourse with soakages northwest of Yuendumu. At Mikanji, the storm was picked up by a kirrkarlanji (brown falcon [Falco berigora]) and taken farther north. At Puyurru, the falcon dug up a giant warnayarra (rainbow serpent). The serpent carried water with it to create another large lake, Jillyiumpa, close to an outstation in this country. The kirda (owners) of this story are Jangala men and Nangala women. After stopping at Puyurru, the water Dreaming travelled on through other locations including Yalyarilalku, Mikilyparnta, Katalpi, Lungkardajarra, Jirawarnpa, Kamira, Yurrunjuku, and Jikaya before moving on into Gurindji country to the north.In contemporary Warlpiri paintings, traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa (Dreaming), associated sites, and other elements. In many paintings of this Dreaming, short dashes are often used to represent mangkurdu (cumulus & stratocumulus clouds), and longer, flowing lines represent ngawarra’(flood waters). Small circles are used to depict mulju (soakages) and river beds.

  Products come with artist information and art story