Esther Giles Nampitjinpa Australian Indigenous (Pintupi/Ngaatjatjarra), b. 1948

This design represents the most important geographical feature of the Western Deserts (Great Sandy Desert, Gibson Desert, Little Sandy Desert), being the east/west parallel sand dunes which can run unbroken for hundreds of kilometres and in places attaining heights of 30 metres.

Esther paints her mother and fathers dreaming and the traditional homelands associated with her ancestral heritage. These include the sites of Yumari, Punkilpirri and Tjalili. These sites are important for ceremonies and as reliable sources for water and food plants. Esther’s works incorporate the sand-hills (tuli) and rock escarpments (puli) of her traditional homeland.

The representation of landforms is associated with the physical and spiritual connection to the earth and can be seen in decoration such as body scarifying, ground designs and incised wooden implements.

The bold and strong flowing lines of this painting on the deep red background gives the viewer a good sense of the immense scope of the Australian Western desert and its “Tuli Tjuta” (many sand-hills).

Please note that all First Nations Art is created from a so called ‘Birds Eye’ view. This means that the paintings can be hung either horizontally as well as vertically.