William Sandy

This painting depicts the travels of the Emu ancestors through William Sandy’s mother’s country, which is Pitjantjatjarra land in the North of South Australia. The ancestors performed ceremonies and various other deeds during the world creation Dreamtime period in which features of the landscape were created. These deeds are honoured by the desert Aboriginal people in present day ceremonies at a place called Kaanpi. The meandering lines represent the emu ancestors on their journey and the concentric circles are the ceremony sites. The dotting symbolises the landscape in that area.