Barbara Reid Napangarti Aboriginal Art Work
Part of a large collection we were lucky enough to source from a collector, all dating from the late 1990s' early 2000's
Barbara was born near Tjukurla, Western Australia, part of the family of famous Australian National Gallery Artist, Ningura Napurulla. The important women’s stories that Barbara paints today were passed onto her by her famous Aunt artist Emily Kame Kngwarreye.
Barbara’s artworks depict a ceremonial site near Tjukurla, where she was born and raised. Most works by this artist tell the story of the bushfoods collected by the women for the birthing ceremony. During this ceremony, the newborn baby is bathed in smoke from the camp fire, wherein the child is held near the fire and the smoke is fanned over them. The women are not permitted to watch the ceremony and are given the task of collecting the bush food while this is taking place. Only the baby’s mother, aunties and grandmother are obliged present. The women are then sent away to wait for the ceremony to finish. This is a very important and sacred ceremony, as this smoking ceremony wards off evil spirits from the nearby salt lake. Barbara tells us that if the ceremony is not performed the child will be stolen by the spirits and never seen again.
Acrylic on unmounted canvas, a large size at 136cm x 102cm
£1, 295. Price includes UK postage
