Ngaginyji Joomooloony

• Art Centre

  Warmun Art Centre

• Year

  2023

• Medium

  Natural ochres on canvas

• Size

  90x90x5

This painting is about Joomena's Ngaginyji Joomooloony, her boab tree. "The boab tree we are born under becomes our special tree for life; this one is Ngaginyji Joomooloony, which means 'My Boabtree'". Eileen Bray Joomena was born on the side of a dusty highway along the road from Alice Downs Station. The family had ventured out on a fishing trip when Eileen’s mum went into labour and was “laid down, with her sisters in law”, under a big boab tree and gave birth. The women stayed there, under this boab for a week as is customary, until all were ready to go back to camp.