This painting depicts a young girls initiation ceremony.
There are eight female kinship groups in the Australian desert. The artist is a senior elder of the Nungarayi kinship group. All Nungarayi daughters are Napaltjarri's. During this special time, the older women of the Nungarayi and Napaltjarri skin groups pass sacred information to the young women of the tribe.
This ceremony represents the girl’s transition from childhood into womanhood. The straight lines represent the sacred dancing sticks used during the women's ceremonies. The large U shapes are the older women who are teaching the young girls (the smaller shaped groups) and watching over them to ensure they listen to the information being handed down to them.
This ceremony takes place each year at an isolated women's Dreaming site called Duck Pond in the Northern Territory.
