Lucy Dixon Napurrurla
Region: Yuelamu (Mt Allan) - Northern Territory.
Language: Anmatyerre/Walpiri
Lucy Dixon Napurrurla is the wife of Harry Dixon Japanangka.
An Aboriginal artist who has been painting for many years.
She resides with her husband at Mt Dennison outstation, which is on Mt Allan Community Land.
Outstations are small family settlements set up on the family groups traditional land away from the main community.
Lucy’s heritage country is Willoura.
She paints traditional Western Desert Art.
This movement began at Papunya an Aboriginal Community, which is about 100 kilometers from Yuelamu (Mt Allan) in the early 1970s.
It has since spread to most of the communities in the Western Desert.
Dots and symbols are used to depict the dreaming stories of the artists.
Her paintings depict bush foods gathered by women around Yuelamu (Mt Allan).
She uses bright colours.
She also paints her Father’s dreaming’s of country north of Willoura.
Lucy paints Bush Tucker, Bush Banana, Snake (tricky one) Wallaby, Witchetty Grub, Water Hole, traveling to Wave Hill and Women Dreaming’s. (Aboriginal Artists Dictionary of Biographies)
The Australian term the Bush refers to the countryside and areas outside the main metropolitan cities.
The word Bush is used to describe activities related to rural living and activities such as going Bush, Bush clothing, Bushfire, Bush Ranger, Bush Poetry etc.
The plants and fruits that the Aboriginal women collect is referred to as Bush Tucker.
The bush banana grows in rock crevices close to the dry riverbanks.
It is eaten as a fruit or used as a bush medicine as it has both nutritional and healing properties it is highly prized by the desert aboriginal women.
The Women’s Ceremony or Awelye, women’s business and body painting shows respect for country, recalls ancestors and responsibility for the well being of the community.
The ceremonies are not done in the presence of men.
Lucy Dixon Napurrurla and other community women paint their ceremony stories on their bodies using ochre, ash and charcoal do traditional dances with chants and pass on what are regarded as secret sacred stories.
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