Beverly Downs
Yankunytjatjara Wapar, 2025
acrylic on linen
122 x 122 cm
2-25
This work is about my culture and language,Yankunytjatjara culture. I am a proud Yankunytjatjara woman. My family has been Yankunytjatjara people. Our language is different to Pitjantjatjara. Most people speak...
This work is about my culture and language,Yankunytjatjara culture. I am a proud Yankunytjatjara woman. My family has been Yankunytjatjara people. Our language is different to Pitjantjatjara. Most people speak Pitjantjatjara these days, and I like spending time with the few family members that still speak Yankunytjatjara and teaching the young ones about our language. I am painting a lot of the trees, grasses and their seeds that are specific my my language and region. There are many words in Yankunytjatjara that come directly from the trees, and I want to paint them to keep them strong and alive for the next generation. Palya.