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Kungkarangkalpa / Seven Sisters

Kungkarangkalpa means the Seven Sisters. This is an extensive creation story that relates to the Pleiades constellation in the southern hemisphere. The story traverses Australia taking on different forms, however local women are privy to the part of the story which takes place in the country near Ernabella. For this part of the story, the man called Nyiru is chasing the sisters as he wants to sleep with the oldest sister. All the younger sisters are deeply afraid of him. As Nyiru is chasing the sisters, he tries to catch them by using magic to turn himself into the most tempting bush tomatoes for the sisters to eat and the most beautiful ili (fig) tree for the sisters to camp under. However, the sisters are aware of his magic and go hungry and run through the night rather than be caught by Nyiru. Eventually, to escape Nyiru, the sisters fly into the sky where they turn into stars and form the constellation.

Categories: Ernabella Arts Inc.

Name: Vivian Pingkayi Thompson

Language: Pitjantjatjara

Community: Pukatja

Biography:

Vivian was born in Alice Springs and has lived all her life in Ernabella. She went to school at nearby Kenmore Park and then moved to Adelaide for high school, attending Wiltja School in Woodville. Vivian is currently a Board member of Ernabella Arts.

Her father, Kunmanara (Kawaki) Thompson, was a highly regarded senior Pitjantjatjara man who was very important in the Land Rights Movement. Her mother, Carlene, is a senior Ernabella artist, and her sisters Marissa and Anne are both highly talented ceramic artists. Vivian is the mother of three children and she is also a grandmother.

Vivian first started creating artwork while in school, and she also learnt the traditional way of milpatjunanyi (telling stories in the sand).

Vivian has been painting at the art centre since 2004, and began working with ceramics in 2009. That year she was part of the Remote Communities Ceramic Project, and did a residency at ANU's Ceramic Workshop.

In 2009 Vivian’s work was acquired by the National Gallery of Australia.

 

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