Eunice Napanangka Jack & Billy Tjungarrayi

As a grandmother and grandson, Eunice and Billy decided they should complete a collaborative work to share their history, culture and family bond as they are both very aware of the significant connection to Wilkinkarra (Lake Mackay), which straddles the Northern Territory/Western Australia border. It was agreed that Bill would complete the main iconic motif of Wilkinkarra to begin the painting. Billy, in this piece and his other works, contemporarily depicts his Grandfather’s (Gideon Tjupurrula Jack, and late husband of Eunice) country of Wilkinkarra, portraying the core of the lake with the nine interconnected waterholes scattered throughout. Eunice then completed the painting with her depiction of the sandhills travelled over on the journey to meet for important cultural business near Wilkinkarra. On the journey the women cut their hair short then twist and roll the off-cuts on their thighs creating ‘hairstring’ belts. These are then used for ceremonial purposes. This particular theme features prominently in many of Eunice’s works and holds great significance, showing the value placed upon hairstring within Central Desert culture, from the creation of hunting bags, to the decoration of young women during ceremony.