Cindy Wallace Nungarrayi

Women dancing at Ceremony | 50h x 90w | RK203

Not framed or stretched | Acrylic on canvas

Cindy Wallace Nungarrayi was born 1973 on Santa Teresa Mission. Her language is Anmatyerre and she now lives at Mulga Bore, Utopia. Cindy is the sister of Colleen Wallace Nungurrayi, and the grand daughter of Kenny Tilmouth Panangka. She is married Stephen Bird, who is the son of famous Utopian artist Ada Bird Petyarre.

Cindy has been painting for 12 years and is a self-taught artist. She paints stories about Women’s Ceremonies, Awelye(Body Paint) and Bush Foods. Her works tell the stories of ceremonies relating to initiation, seasonal changes and general women’s business (these things form an important part of aboriginal society). Body-paint designs are learnt whilst applying paint to the chest, breasts and shoulders of women about to partake in ceremony. These images relate to Awelye (dreaming) and are significant to the ceremonies and rituals that are the basis of aboriginal culture.