Irlupa Rita Watson 46 x 46

Irlupa

46 x 46

Acrylic on canvas

2024

This is a story about Irlupa, a site near Papulankatja in Western Australia, a place where Western Ngaayatjara and east earn Pitjantjatjara dielects diverge.

This is Rita's father's ngurra (camp and country) where she spent time as young person and is home to many important tjukurpa (dreaming) sites and stories and inma (songs) for Anangu in this area.

Rita paints the features of his camp such as tjukula (rockholes), kalyan kalyan (Honey grevilla plant), tjanpi (spinifex), Kampurarpa (Bush Tomatoes), Anangu (people), punu (trees) and wiltja (windbreaks) in an iconographic milpajunanyi (traditional sand drawing) style.

 About the Artist

Rita Watson was born in 1964 in Warburton, a remote community in Western Australia. She is the daughter of renowned Irrunytju artist, Tjuruparu Watson. During her younger years she spent a lot of time travelling across the NPY Lands, particularly between Irrunytju and Amata. Today she lives in Kalka with her husband.

As an artist, Rita is extremely passionate, dedicated, and hard-working. Her art is heavily influenced by her father’s country, ‘Illurpa’, from which she paints striking, iconographic designs using a combination of soft, feminine colours with bold graphics.