13 AM 4857/07
Elizabeth Nyumi Nungurrayi Parwalla 2007
Acrylic on linen 2950 x 1210mm $58000
This painting depicts the country known as Parwalla, which is Nyumi's father's country. This country is far to
the south of Balgo in the Great Sandy Desert, west of Kiwirrkurra, and is dominated by tali (sand hills). Parwalla
is a large swampy area, which fills with water after the wet season rain and consquently produces an abundance
of bush foods. The majority of Nyumi's painting shows the different bush foods, including kantjilyi (bush
raisin), pura (bush tomato) and minyili (seed). Women, shown as the U shapes, with their wana (digging sticks)
and coolamons gathering the foods are also depicted. The whitish colours, which dominate the painting,
represent the spinifex that grows strong and seeds after the wet season rains. These seeds are white in colour,
and grow so thickly they obscure the ground and other plants below.