| Artist | Verena Davis |
|---|---|
| Title | Ntharpa-errama, Lyihama, Palm Vallery (Dancing and Singing at Palm Valley) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Medium | Terracotta and underglazes |
| Dimensions | 23 × 14 × 14 cm |
| Art Centre | Hermannsburg Potters → |
Out of stock
Verena Davis
Verena Davis was born in Ntaria (Hermannsburg). She learned painting when she was at school and was painting and sewing before she joined the Hermannsburg Potters in 2019. Her aunty is Anita Mbitjana Ratara, a senior artist at Hermannsburg Potters. Verena has been learning from Anita since commencing work at the art centre.
Artist statement
This story is about olden times, about how we got to know how to talk to tourists. By teaching them language, teaching them bush tucker, showing them how to dance ntharpa (corroboree). When the tourists used to come to Hermannsburg, that was in the 70’s, every time we used to see the tourist bus we used to chase after it, knowing that we would go with them out to Palm Valley and join with them in their cup of tea, damper, but mostly biscuits, licorices and jellybeans. We used to love biscuits in those days. We weren’t shy, even though we didn’t have good English. We used to just speak what we knew and point at things, they would get the ideas and say ‘oh, that’s how it is.’ Old ‘Tiger’ Tjalkaljeri is on the top of the pot, he used to do traditional dance for the tourists, inviting them out on Country and taking them out on a tour. Teaching them bushes, rocks, trees, the birds, the names of them. We would all stand and line up and copy him while he’s dancing, the actions. Tourists used to love that emu dance.