Travels of the Kungka Kutjarra 2002

Makinti Napanangka created Travels of the Kungka Kutjarra, using acrylic on canvas to translate an ancestral story from the Gibson Desert. Napanangka, a Pintupi woman, began painting in the 1990s, relatively late in life, contributing to a movement that gained momentum as Indigenous Australians asserted their cultural identities through art. The painting illustrates the journey of the Kungka Kutjarra, two women of the Dreamtime, as they travel across the desert. The warm colors evoke the landscape's heat and the intensity of the sun, but beyond this, it's a map, imbued with cultural meaning, guiding viewers through the women's sacred journey. Napanangka’s work departs from traditional Western representational strategies, offering an alternative narrative rooted in Indigenous knowledge and experience. As you stand before this painting, consider the resilience and strength of Indigenous women and the enduring power of their stories.