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Kakalyalya Tjukurrpa – White Cocky Dreaming

In the artist’s words: This is the story in my father’s country of Pirrupa Kaala. It is the story of the white cocky (circle middle on top) with mako (witchetty grubs) in its mouth. The eagle (left bottom) brought malo (kangaroo) meat (circle left top) for the white cocky as she had a broken wing. But a crow (circle right side bottom) chased the white cocky all over the country because the white cocky had such a big mob of mako. The crow started to hit the white cocky with a nulla nulla and called her greedy. The eagle helped the cocky and chased the crow away. So it happend that the eagle came to stay with white cocky for a little while. But on day he said: ”Oh, I am going home to find another place to stay”, and left the white cocky behind to stay there by herself for good.

The blue colour shows the tracks from the water running into the deep water holes in the sand after the rain. The red colour shows the little mountains where the water comes from and goes into the creek flowing south.

Categories: Ikuntji Artists

Name: Kathleen Whiskey


Language: Luritja


Community: Mt Leibig


Biography:

Born on 14/01/1959 Kathleen is the daughter of the late Bill Whiskey of Mt Liebig. She is also the mother of emerging young male Ikuntji Artist, Desmond Impu Tjapaltjarri. After a 5 year hiatus, Kathleen resumed painting at Ikuntji in early 2009 following the passing of her father, Bill Whiskey (NATSIAA award winner) and was a prolific artist.

Her works depict the story of the White Cocky (Major Mitchell Cockatoo) between Uluru and Kata Tjuta. She learnt this story and its depiction from her late father, and she handed this knowledge down to her son and her niece, Rostaria Whiskey. Kathleen passed away in 2015. 


© the artist / art centre