Fat Quarter – Bush Foods – Zeza Nampijinpa

• Composition: Classic Cotton – organic (more info at bottom)
• Dimensions: 50 x 70 cm (19.7 x 27.5 inches)
• Weight of base cloth: 140 gsm
• The artist is paid royalties for every metre printed
• Produced by Flying Fox Fabrics under license with the artist

Story

This painting is a celebration of Central Australian bush foods rendered in detail and colour. The foods include bush passionfruit (each outer edge), yakajirri (bush currant), yuparli (bush banana) in the centre and Wanakiji (Bush Tomato).

Wanakiji grows in open spinifex country and is a small prickly plant with purple flowers that bear green fleshy fruit with many small black seeds. After collecting the fruit the seeds are removed with a small wooden spoon called Kajalarra. The fruit can then be eaten raw or threaded onto skewers called Turlturrpa and then cooked over a fire.

Yakajirri are known as Bush tomatoes are the fruit or entire plants of a certain nightshade (Solanum centrale) species native to the more arid parts of Australia. While they are quite closely related to tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). Bush tomato plants are small shrubs whose growth is encouraged by fire and disturbance. The fruit are yellow when ripe.

The Yuparli (bush banana [Leichhardtia australis]) is a fruit bearing creeper that grows up trees and produces fruit with many fine, winged seeds inside. ‘Yapa’ (Warlpiri people) like to cook them in the coals, particularly the young juicy ones that are called Yangardurrku. ‘Yapa’ also eat the small white flowers and the leaves, whichhave a delicious nutty taste.

The painting can be displayed portrait or landscape.

Zeza Nampijinpa Ega Biography

Zeza is an outstanding colourist and has a fine sense of composition. She was originally called Noreen until a relative with that name passed away. In a community it is hurtful to hear the name of a deceased person so they are referred to as Kumunjayi and anyone with the same name can either take a new name or also be called Kumunjayi. She lived in Ali Curung for over ten years and painted for Arlpwe Art & Culture Centre. She has also painted for Warlukurlangu Artists. Her paintings are in private collections across Australia and overseas. Zeza Egan’s work is characterised by her attention to detail.

Zeza’s father was Ted Jangala Egan, a renowned tracker and founding member of Warlukurlangu Artists of Yuendumu. Zeza lives between Ali Curung and Yuendumu and the wider world.

The fabric: Classic Cotton is made from organic yarn and woven in a satin finish. The fabric has a smooth surface with a sheen across it and a bright white point making it an excellent fabric for printing. Classic Cotton is a versatile fabric that produces a soft hand feel and gentle drape. Perfect for all types of clothing, accessories and selected soft furnishings.

Printed by: Next State Print in Melbourne, Australia

Fabric care instructions:
Gentle cold wash. Do not bleach, warm rinse well, do not tumble dry, iron, dry cleanable (P).