Lanita Numina

Body Painting | 74h x 57w | RK417

Not framed or stretched | Acrylic on canvas

Lanita Numina is the eldest of the six well-known desert artists - the Numina Sisters. Like her sisters, Lanita went to primary school on Stirling Station near Tennant Creek. She comes from a long line of desert painters of the contemporary Aboriginal art and dot-dot central desert movement. Lanita lived with her mother and aunties on Stirling Station near Ti Tree.  She started painting later than her other sisters. Lanita currently lives in Darwin with her little sister Sharon.

Lanita was surrounded by her well renowned painter aunties: Gloria and Kathleen Petyerre, who are well established artists in Alice Springs. The Numina Sisters have all been taught to paint by their earlier elder painter grandmothers, mother-auntys, and cousin-sisters connected across the Central Desert region. Their mother's and grandmother's Country is in the bush and remote Stirling Station.

Subjects of importance in the theme-series painted are various bush tucker. Plant foods include wild berries, plums, onion, yam, seeds etc. Many animals can be depicted as food source or as totems such as Thorny Devil Lizard and Dingo Tracks.

Women's Ceremony, Awelye Body Art Ceremony are mostly painted by senior ladies but younger women need to know it from a young age. Knowing, carrying and reinforcing these stories gives respect for her Country and her ancestors.  The stories and knowledge are retold repeatedly and handed on to keep the traditional practices alive. The process of painting the Dreamings/stories is also a method of keeping the conversation going.