183-25 – Kukutja Ngurra – JOAN (EVA) NAGOMARA

Artist : JOAN (EVA) NAGOMARA
Title : Kukutja Ngurra
Size/Medium : 610 x 457mm: acrylic on canvas Painting

Biography :

Eva was born in Old Balgo but has lived in Broome and Halls Creek. She has six grown up children. She is a long–term and very active member of the Warlayirti Management Committee (2000-2006) and was Vice-Chair from 2000-2005. There she received training in governance and developing the Money Story. Eva is respected church leader and is involved in religious celebrations that take place on the community. Eva worked at the Adult Education Centre, has been a translator for the Kimberley Language and Culture Centre, and cultural support worker for the local school. 

Eva’s delicate and detailed paintings tell layers of stories from her Tjukurrpa (creation stories and lore). Eva has been a finalist in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA) and in 2015 she travelled to the Venice Biennale to present a mixed media collaborative work by Warlayirti Artists and Italian artist Giorgia Severi. Eva is a renowned story teller, she loves to tell tales of her travels around Italy and of growing up in the dormitories.  

Story :

“This Country is Kukatja country. From Balgo, right around right up to Kiwirrkurra. The Kukatja Country. And all the people once, they lived around the desert. And they live around Kiwirrkurra, Kunawarritji, Balgo. In the early days, in the bush when they were young with there families. Ngaatja, Lake Mackay, Wilkinkarra (the biggest circle). And Kiwirrkurra (the large circle below that), and Balgo up there (the cluster of middle sized circles at the top). And all the places around Balgo. Like Tjarluwan, Tjumunturra, Tapayi, Kunawarawara. Tjarluwan is the main place, Tjarluwan is where they first came out from the desert. They lived in Tjarluwan. And Lake Gregory, Paruku. They used to travel around with their families. In their groups. And when they used to come together to have ceremonies. They used to come from different tribes and gather at Lake White. They used to have ceremony there. They singing songs. My mother she was a little girl they told me. When the lake was with water, a long time, they used to swim out to the lake. And get ducks egg. They used to fill em up, with the other girls and boys. And they cook them up. So they can have it. And there was one boy who was older than them. They used to travel around. All around. All around Lake White. My mother was born in Lake White. This is Kukatja country. From Kiwirrkurra right up to Balgo. All those places. And soakwaters and rockholes. All those places for them. Where they all came from. And Kartiya been come a long time. Kartiya used to come, to get them and used to take them to Papunya, Kintore. But Balgo mob been walk. Thsoe people walked from the desert to Balgo. They been walk all the way. And they came across Lake Gregory (Paraku). They live in this country. In the Kukatja country. Palya. Nyamu. ”

Eva Nagomara