LORNA FENCER NAPURRULA, Bush Potato, 1999

LORNA FENCER NAPURRULA Warlpiri language, c.1925 - 2006 Bush Potato, 1999 acrylic on linen 122 x 123 cm bears inscription verso: L/9902, Lorna Napurrurla Fencer, 1200x1200, 9-2-99 AK9666 PROVENANCE Warnayaka Arts, Northern Territory, Cat No. L/9902 Alcaston Gallery, Victoria, Cat No. AK9666 The Collection of Barbara Hansen, Victoria Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Alcaston Gallery and exhibition flyer EXHIBITED Lorna Napurrula Fencer: Yapa, 23 April - 14 May 1999, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria Born at Yarltu Yarltu near the Granites in the Tanami Desert, Warlpiri artist Lorna Fencer Napurrurla emerged as a painter of considerable reputation in the early 1990s. She developed a highly individual style characterised by expressive brushwork and vibrant colour, earning widespread recognition. Her work is represented in major Australian public and private collections, including the National Gallery of Victoria. Her vivid, colour-rich paintings share important ancestral subjects with those of Emily Kame Kngwarreye, most notably the yam or bush potato, a recurring theme in the work of both artists. This painting depicts the Yarla (Bush Potato) Jukurrpa, an important ancestral story following the journeys of Napurrurla and Nakamarra women as they travel across Country in search of bush potatoes. Growing beneath the desert surface, bush potatoes are located and harvested using digging sticks. The meandering lines at the centre of the composition represent the underground root system of the bush potato plant, while the surrounding lines symbolise the women's digging sticks. The circle at the top marks the site where the women dig to retrieve the wild yams, an important source of bush food. The story is closely associated with fertility, renewal and the life-sustaining resources of the desert, including seeds, rainfall and underground water sources. Fencer's energetic brushwork and layered compositions draw upon traditional Warlpiri women's body painting designs used in ceremonial contexts. Her distinctive approach transforms these designs into vibrant expressions of Country, capturing the movement, abundance and enduring cultural significance of the desert landscape. © LORNA FENCER NAPURRULA / Copyright Agency, 2026

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