99 AM 7910/11
Karina Coombes Yamparriparri & Tapalinga 2011
Ochre & acrylic on linen 1600 x 1000mm SOLD including resale royalty
This painting depicts the Tiwi story of the shooting star, or Yamparriparri. Yamparriparri are viewed by Tiwi people as a
very bad omen, a type of demon similar to a vampire. The custom on the Tiwi Islands when a shooting star is observed is to
spit several times on the ground to mitigate potential bad luck. Tapalinga is the general Tiwi term for a star, or group of stars
in the night sky.