Leah BRADY

Wanampi Tujkurpa Pilati , 2019

Art : Aboriginal
Origine : APY Lands
Dimensions : 151 x 197 cm
Medium : Acrylic on canvas
N° : 4526

This painting tells the story of two brothers and two sisters who lived near Piltati, west of Amata, 480km south-west of Alice Springs. It was the women who went out hunting in order to bring back kuka (meat for cooking), while the men only performed ceremonies. After a while, the sisters grew tired of the men's laziness and decided to eat all the food they had caught. The brothers were furious and decided to punish the women for their insubordination. So they decided to transform themselves into Wanampi (a giant water snake) and play a prank on them. They imitated the tracks of a large snake and hid in a hole intended for hunting, with the tail sticking out to attract the women. Their ruse worked and they managed to lure the women back to the camp, but the younger brother escaped from the burrow and chased after his wife, whom he swallowed. The wounded snake, exhausted and in pain, killed his wife and devoured her.