Pirlinyanu Site - Water Dreaming (2010) by Julie Nangala Robertson, 198x61cm Cat 14000JR

"Pirlinyanu Site - Water Dreaming (2010)" by Julie Nangala Robertson captures the essence of Pirlinyanu, a rocky country with significant waterholes and plentiful bush tucker. This site is crucial for the Water Dreaming because those with traditional knowledge can access fresh water in the deep, naturally occurring wells by moving specific rocks. Without this knowledge, the desert landscape might seem devoid of water.

Julie depicts her Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming), associated with her father’s traditional country of Pirlinyanu, a rocky outcrop in the Tanami Desert, west of Yuendumu and near the WA border. The totemic shape of this painting gives a sense of looking far into the desert distance.

Julie’s paintings achieve extraordinary optical brilliance by creating movement and shapes with the placement of dots and building up specific shapes or reference points through repeated over-dotting. Her unique style and technique have earned her critical acclaim.

In 2023, Julie was awarded the Best Painting category in the Telstra Aboriginal Art Award.

Recently, Julie, the eldest of five daughters of Dorothy Napangardi Robinson, changed the spelling of her surname to Robertson to align with her relatives in Yuendumu, correcting a misspelling by her father, Windy, who had two wives: Rene Robinson and Dorothy Napangardi Robinson.