"Kalpurtu", by Jimmy Pike

Shinju Matsuri Art Award Winner 1994 This is Japingka – the home country of Jimmy Pike, a jila (permanent water place) inhabited by a rainbow serpent – Kalpurtu. The bold silhouettes of two figures dominate the canvas. The figures are a representation of a dream, and a representation of the life defining, life sustaining, relationship between people and the spirit of country. The figure and the spirit understand each other well, and in this case the serpent agrees to bring the good gentle rain. The concentric lines of red and black surrounding the two figures expresses the powerful nature of this vital interaction.