Artist statement

This painting tells a Kapi Tjukurrpa (water dreaming) story of Wantupunyu. Wantupunyu is Punni Brown Nungarrayi’s grandfather’s Country and the site is to the north of Papunya and west of the sacred mountain Karinyarra. Punni leant to paint this story from her mother, Isobel Gorey, who is a prolific painter and a director at Papunya Tjupi and Chair of Desart. Water dreaming sites are important for the regeneration of nature and in this painting the central shapes are important water or rock hole sites. The lines represent the elements of a storm – wind, rain, thunderclouds and lightning. The patterns represent rain and water flowing from the waterholes and flooding the usually dry creek beds.