Khatija Nampijinpa Possum (b.1989) - Large Original Aboriginal Painting 106cm x 200cm

Khatija Nampijinpa Possum (b.1989) Huge 2m long original aboriginal artwork titled "My Great Grandmother's Country & Seven Sisters Dreaming" (2021). This painting depicts ‘The Seven Sisters’ Dreaming, a story based upon a cluster of stars also known as the 'Pleiades'. Valued at over $5,000, this impressive and vibrant artwork is made of synthetic polymer paint on canvas and is signed and dated verso. Khatija Possum is the granddaughter to Clifford Possum who is considered to be one of the most collected and renowned Australian Aboriginal artists. The artwork is in excellent condition, stretched and is ready to hang.  Given its size, please ask for a shipping quote prior to purchase.

Dimensions

106cm x 200cm x 3 cm

Bio

Khatija Possum is the daughter Michelle Possum Nungurrayi and Heath Ramzan Tjangala. She is the third generation of painters in her family; her grandfather was the famous Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, renowned for being one of the founding artists of the contemporary indigenous art movement. Khatija's mother Michelle was taught to paint by Clifford and to this day carries on the traditional stories, style and much of the iconography of Clifford Possum, albeit with stronger colour and the addition of women's ceremonial stories and other women's dreamings. 

The Story:

This painting depicts ‘The Seven Sisters’ Dreaming, a story based upon a cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. Taught to Khatija by her mother and grandmother, and inherited from her grand father, Clifford Possum, this story takes place at “twenty mile” located near Napperby Creek in the Northern Territory. The Seven Sisters travelled over a vast expanse of country, until they realised that they were being followed by a man called Wati-Nyiru (who was a Tjakamarra man). The women were frightened of Wati-Nyiru as he was an evil man who wanted to seduce the sisters and have ownership of them. They tried to hide from the man in caves, however he began disguising himself as many different things to deceive them. With little hope of escape, the seven sisters fled through a fire at Kurlunyalimpa to the Milky Way where they became the stars of the Plaeiadies in the Constellation Taurus. There they are safe, and at rest and watch out over all the women on earth. Wati-Nyiru followed them to the heavens, becoming the star Orion, unable to reach them as they move across the night sky. Here Khatija paints the cloud formations in front of the Milky Way in the night sky. The seven concentric circles represent the seven sisters while the lone star depicts Orion (the Tjakamarra man).