Piltati Tjurkupa

Rhoda Tjitayi

Size: 124 x 134cm

The Story: Rhoda was born in Pukatja (formerly Ernabella), Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in South Australia. She is now based in Adelaide. Her painting tells the Piltati Tjukurpa story, her grandmother’s ancestral creation story. Two sisters, Wanyinta and Alartjatjarra, along with their husbands, travelled the lands looking for food. The two women would travel to dig and hunt and always returned with food for their husbands. But on one particular occasion they decided to eat some of the food before heading back to their husbands. Their husbands became angry that their wives had not returned and decided to trick them by turning into two water snakes and going into a water hole. The men, in the form of water snakes became angry and swallowed the two sisters. The two water snakes still live at the Piltati water hole and are said to be currently sleeping.