Fat Quarter – Desert Tracks and 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
The title of this painting is about the creation of the country around Yuendumu, a remote community of Warlpiri people located 300 km north-west of Alice Springs on the Tanami Road. Three different Jukurrpa (Ancestral Creation Stories) travelled through and created country near Yuendumu and the tracks of the ancestors are shown here. The artist has also painted a wild bush food found in Central Australia called wanakiji (Solanum centrale) shown in various stages of ripeness.

The ancestors were traveling as animals:

Wardapi the sand goanna (Varanus gouldii) tracks run through the centre.

Marlu the red kangaroo leaves a long footprint and tail mark in the sand and

Yankirri the emu has a distinctive V shaped print with a central toe.

The sand goanna (Varanus gouldii) is a species of large Australian monitor lizard, also known as Gould’s monitor and sand monitor. They can reach a length of 140 cm. The sand goanna excavates large burrows but may also shelter in rock crevices or tree hollows.

Its diet consists mostly of insects, small lizards and mice, but it considers anything smaller than itself prey, including snakes and other lizards.

The red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus) is the largest of all kangaroos, the largest terrestrial mammal native to Australia, and the largest extant marsupial.

The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is Australia’s tallest native bird, reaching between 1.6 m and 1.9 m when standing erect. Adult Emus are covered with shaggy grey-brown feathers except for the neck and head, which are largely naked and bluish-black.

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).