Piltati: Wanampi Tjukurpa
2016
acrylic on Belgian linen
200 x 153 cm
Private Collection
© The artist and Kaltjiti Arts
Piltati is the Tjukurpa story of the two water serpents who live in the Piltati Rockhole. This is Witjiti’s mother’s country near Kanypi:
'The two watis, two brothers, two water snakes, are at the Piltati Rockhole waiting for the two sisters. The two women had gone to find mai (food). They were gone a long time and the men were hungry. They all live there in the rockhole.'
In Witjiti’s painting, the rabbit burrows are depicted as lines with semi circles either side. Underground water flows through these channels and the connected circles are places where the sisters travelled looking for food.
Witjiti George
Born: 1938 Granite Downs SA
Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytajtjara language groups
Art Centre: Kaltjiti Arts, Kaltjiti (Fregon)
Witjiti George is from Mulga Bore Homeland. He is a senior traditional elder and holds extensive cultural knowledge. He was born at Lambina/Granite Downs (cattle station) in the far north of South Australia in 1938. His family were travelling east as there was drought and no food forced them east to the railway line. He went to school at Oodnadatta as a tjitji (small boy) in primary school, before the family moved to Ernabella where he grew up. When Fregon was established in 1961, he started doing cattle work. Tjangili, his wife, came from Mt Ebeneza to Ernabella. They were married in the old tradition way.
Witjiti started painting in 2007 at the Kaltjiti Arts centre. A senior traditional man, he holds much traditional knowledge.
