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Tjilkamala Rockholes Fabric- Red and Orange on Brown (Cotton) 50cm

This design by Alice Nampitjinpa Dixon depicts Takupalangu west of Kintore. This is Uta Uta Tjangala’s country, which he has painted throughout his career. Nampitjinpa paints her father’s country of rockholes (puli) and sandhills (tali). There is plenty bushtucker – mangilpa, which are little black seeds around. The road to Kiwirrkurra passes Takupalangu on the side.
Alice describes the big swamp of Takupalangu, in her Fathers country. Takupalangu is filled up with bush vegetables called mungilpa. When Alice was a small girl she travelled this country with her family. Her mother used to collect mungilpa and pummel it into dough which she made into damper. It is also a good place for hunting bush meat as the swamp is surrounded by rock hills.

This fabric has been screen printed by hand by Publisher Textiles and Papers, ensuring the highest quality and longevity.

About the printers:

Publisher Textiles & Papers is one of Australia’s leading print houses. Focused on producing original patterns through traditional hand-screen printing methods we create bold and colourful textiles, hand printed wallpaper, clothing and fabric.

Our fabric is printed in small batches and is available in pre-cut lengths on the website, which we update regularly. For larger quantities, please email us to discuss pre-orders.

Fabric details:

This fabric is by continuous metreage going up in 50cm increments, priced at $110 per metre.

For 1m, please add 2 x 50cm to your cart and it will be cut as a continuous length ($110 for 1m).

For 2m, please add 4 x 50cm to your cart and it will be cut as a continuous length ($220 for 2m).

For 3m, please add 6 x 50cm to your cart and it will be cut as a continuous length ($330 for 3m).

Fabric care instructions (Trapper Drill): Gentle cold/ warm hand wash. Do not bleach, warm rinse well, do not tumble dry, line dry out of direct sunlight, warm iron, Wash dark colours separately.

Categories: Ikuntji Artists

Name: Alice Nampitjinpa Dixon


Language: Luritja, Pintupi


Community: Haasts Bluff


Biography:

Alice was born in 1943 near Talaalpi, which is a swamp near and a little bit to the east of Walungurru on the Western Australian border. Prior to her painting Alice worked for many years at the Kintore School teaching the young girls dancing and the traditions of the desert people. Alice started painting on the "Minyama Tjukurrpa" - the Kintore Haasts Bluff collaborative canvas project. As a painter she is inspired by her rich cultural heritage, and thrives when involved with her stories and lore. Alice is an active "dancing woman" who travels widely to participate in annual ceremonies and "Women's Law" meetings. Alice's tjukurrpa is the porcupine or Tjilkamala. Her story is told in bright colours often utilizing orange and yellow to mirror the ochres that are used in ceremonial body painting. In her tjukurrpa story there is often the porcupine scurrying about rock holes and hiding places looking for tucker while nearby the women are themselves hunting, laying in wait for the porcupine. Alice is a keen hunter and likes to go hunting with Eunice Jack. Alice's father was the late Uta Uta Tjangala, who was one of the original Papunya Tula painters. His Tjukurrpa is Pungkalungka at Takpalangu. Pungkalungka's are dangerous, and sometimes kill and eat people. They live in huge caves in the hills. Alice only paints the entrance to the caves to signify the unknown danger of the monster that dwells within. Her father's country is Ngurrapalangu, and her tjukurrpa has passed to her from this place - the porcupine was travelling through the sand hills and passing near the two carpet snakes, kuniya kutjarra, who were living underneath the water. Alice also enjoys the other crafts and is involved in producing hand-spindled hairstring for ceremonies and ininti necklaces and mats. She regularly goes out bush to collect ininti seeds then laboriously pierces them with hot wire to make beads for necklaces, bracelets or mats.

Dixon passed away in December 2020. 


© the artist / art centre