Gabriella Possum
Seven Sisters Dreaming
ACAAGPN0508
207x152cm
Acrylic paints on linen
 SOLD
| Description: | This is the ancient myth of the Milky Way and the Seven Sisters (Pleiades). This dreaming was inherited by Gabriella from her mother and grandmother and given to Gabriella by her father. 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). He was a evil person who wanted to seduce the sisters and have ownership of them, and so the women were frightened of him. 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 relief from the man, the seven sisters escaped 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, and become the star Orion, unable to get near them as they move across the night sky. Gabriella depicts 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 represents Orion (the Tjakamarra man).
Gabriella was brought up traditionally and attended Yirara College for a short time. She is the oldest daughter of CLIFFORD POSSUM TJAPALTJARRI. Clifford taught her to paint at an early age and in 1985 she won the Alice Springs Art Prize. She is well represented in the finest aboriginal art collections and recognized as a culturally significant artist. Her works have been exhibited in the USA and Europe including the Modern Art-Ancient Icon exhibition (1992) and Down Under (1993). Her main dreamings include Bush Tucker, Grandmothers Country and Seven Sister Dreaming. |
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