Waterholes I – Jennifer Mitchell (L)

Composition: Classic Cotton – organic (more info below)
Width: 140 cm (52 inches)
Weight of base cloth: 140 gsm
The artist is paid royalties for every metre printed
Produced by Flying Fox Fabrics under license in collaboration with Papulankutja Artists
Title: Kapi Tjukurla

Kapi (water) and tjukurla (holes in rocks) are where water collects after rain. Knowledge of where to find water in any form is critical in an arid landscape.

The location of kapi tjukurla was handed down through story and song cycles. It was particularly important to know which kapi tjukurla had water at which time of the year as it could mean life or death.

The circles in the painting represent the kapi tjukurla. The lines connecting the circles are the creeks, streams or paths the water takes that appear during the rainy times.

Jennifer’s paintings are bright, bold and strong. She is a senior woman.
Papulankutja Artists is a community-based, not-for-profit Aboriginal Corporation governed by a committee of elected members.

It evolved out of the Women’s Centre where painting had been encouraged as an activity for both men and women since the mid 1980s. With the Aboriginal art market taking off it became necessary to establish a legal framework to protect the artists and their entitlements. Papulankutja Artists was born in 2003 and a year later registered as an Aboriginal Corporation with the members governing the art centre. After five year struggling to find a home Papulankutja Artists moved into a purpose built art centre in 2009. The art centre also works with artists in Mantamaru (Jameson), a community 75kms to the west.

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

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