26/06/2026
Sonda Turner Nampijmpa and her Sister Sandra Turner Nampijimpa at Papunya school in 1971. The man in the photo is their teacher Geoffrey Bardon.
This mural was painted on Papunya School not long before this photo.
The mural is Honey ant Tjukurrpa.
Tjukurrpa is loosely translated as he word 'Dreaming' today.
The mural was painted by encouragement of the teacher Mr. Bardon. It was only after this time that canvas for painting was sent to Papunya. Then first Luritja men started to paint their Tjukurrpa on canvas. Then Luritja Women.
Not everyone was happy with exposure of Sacred knowledge to the outside world so artists started to hide secret knowledge. Naturally.
This was the beginning of a movement known as the Western Desert art movement and Papunya Tula Artists cooperative 1972.
Papunya Tula was the first Aboriginal art centre that became a bridge between Aboriginal culture and whote people by the 1980s and enabled Aboriginal art to be shown and now known as one of the most Internationally recognised artworks, possibly in the world.
Sonda and her Sister Sandra have both identified themselves in the posted image taken 55 years ago.
