Nandjiwarra Amagula lived from around 1926 to 1989. Nanjiwarra in particular, surpassed all others, often executing complex and detailed narratives relating to traditional ceremonies and spiritual subjects. In fact, numerous series by the artist are known including four sets of narratives from the 1950s relating the seventeen stages of Death on Groote Eylandt collected by the Rev. L. M. Howellin now the collection of the National Gallery of Australia.


In this work, Nandjiwarra has created a dynamic ceremonial scene. The movement is heightened by the gestural, feathered brushstrokes in white and yellow ochre surrounding the dancing figures signifying the impact of the dancer's soles on the c...