Art From Australia
"Seven Sisters Dreaming" By Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi
"Seven Sisters Dreaming" By Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi
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Artist: Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi
Size (H x W): 92 x 185 cm
This is the ancient myth of the Milky Way and the Seven Sisters (Pleiades).
This dreaming was inherited by Gabriella from her mother and grandmother and given to Gabriella by her father.
The story takes place at Twenty Mile, located near Napperby Creek in the Northern Territory. The Seven Sisters travelled over a vast expanse of country, until they realised that they were being followed by a man called Wati-Nyiru (who was a Tjakamarra man). With little hope of relief, the Seven Sisters escaped through a fire at Kurlunyalimpa to the Milky Way, where they became the stars of the Pleiades in the constellation Taurus.
There they are safe and at rest and watch over all the women on earth.
Wati-Nyiru followed them to the heavens and become the star Orion, unable to get near them as they move across the night sky. The painting depicts the cloud formations in front of the Milky Way in the night sky. The seven concentric circles represent the Seven Sisters while the lone star represents Orion (Wati-Nyiru).
About the Artist – Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi
Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi is one of Australia’s most celebrated First Nations artists. Her work is widely recognised for its cultural significance, deep storytelling, and strong connection to Anmatyerre Country.
Gabriella was born at Mount Allan near Alice Springs and is the daughter of the legendary artist Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri and Emily Nakamarra Possum, a respected Luritja woman. Gabriella began painting alongside her father as a young girl, inheriting his visual language while developing her own distinctive and powerful style.
Her artworks share women’s stories of Dreaming and Ceremony, using traditional symbols to represent sacred sites, waterholes, plants, animals, footsteps, and ancestral journeys. These stories are passed down through generations and painted with deep respect for law, lore, and land.
Gabriella is best known for her Seven Sisters Dreaming paintings, which have been exhibited internationally and even projected onto the Sydney Opera House as part of the Vivid Festival. Her work has also been featured in galleries across Australia, the UK, and the USA.
Today, Gabriella lives and paints in Melbourne, surrounded by her sister and extended family, continuing a powerful legacy of culture, connection, and creativity.
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