22 AM 9576/13
Karina Coombes Yamparriparri & Tapalinga 2013
Ochre on canvas 1200 x 800mm SOLD
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.