Blue Seven Sisters Tray

This fine bone china large plate features the stunning artwork Star or Seven Sisters Dreaming by Alma Granites, capturing the beauty and storytelling of Central Desert art. Perfect as a statement piece for your table or wall, it comes in a matching gift box with information about the artist and the story behind the work. Royalties from this product directly benefit the artist, supporting the continuation of rich artistic traditions and a deep connection to Country.

Dimensions: 6.3" x 10.6"

About the Artist:

Athena Nangala Granites, born in 1994 in Yuendumu, Central Australia, is a rising star in Aboriginal art. She is the daughter of Geraldine Napangardi Granites and the granddaughter of renowned artist Alma Nungarrayi Granites. Since 2010, Athena has painted at Warlukurlangu Artists, where she learned by watching her mother, sisters, and grandmother. She paints Jukurrpa stories from both her father’s (Ngapa Jukurrpa - Water Dreaming) and mother’s (Ngalyipi Jukurrpa - Snake Vine Dreaming, Yanjirlpirri Jukurrpa - Seven Sisters Dreaming) sides. Athena's work combines modern techniques with traditional culture, using vibrant colors and experimental methods, creating dynamic, textured artworks.

About the Artwork:

This Dreaming depicts the story of the seven ancestral Napaljarri sisters, who are found in the night sky today as a cluster of seven stars, known as the Pleiades. The Pleiades are seven women of the Napaljarri skin group and are often shown in paintings of this Jukurrpa carrying the Jampijinpa man, wardilyka (bush turkey), who is in love with the Napaljarri-warnu and represents the Orion’s Belt cluster of stars. Jukurra-jukurra, the morning star, is a Jakamarra man who is also in love with the seven Napaljarri sisters and is often shown chasing them across the night sky. In a final attempt to escape from the Jakamarra, the Napaljarri-warnu turned themselves into fire and ascended into the heavens to become stars.

Jukurrpa, often translated as "Dreaming" or "Dreamtime," refers to the creation period when ancestral beings shaped the land, its laws, and its customs. It continues to guide relationships between people, places, animals, and the spiritual world. Each Jukurrpa story is deeply tied to specific Country and is passed down through generations through ceremony, song, dance, and art.

The custodians of the Napaljarri-warnu Jukurrpa are Japaljarri/Jungarrayi men and Napaljarri/Nungarrayi women. Some parts of this Jukurrpa are closely associated with men’s sacred ceremonies of a very secretive nature. Yanjirlypirri Jukurrpa (Star Dreaming) tells of the journey of Japaljarri and Jungarrayi men who travelled from Kurlurngalinypa (near Lajamanu) to Yanjirlypirri (west of Yuendumu), and then on to Lake Mackay on the Western Australian border. Along the way they performed kurdiji (initiation) ceremonies for young men. Women also danced for the kurdiji.

The site depicted in the original canvas is Yanjirlypirri (Star), where there is a low hill and a water soakage. The importance of this place cannot be overemphasized, as young boys are brought here to be initiated from as far as Pitjantjatjara country to the south and Lajamanu to the north.

In contemporary Warlpiri paintings, traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, associated sites, and other elements. Often depicted in paintings for this Jukurrpa is the female star Yanjirlpiri (Venus—the Evening Star), who chases the seven Napaljarri sisters for having stolen the night from her.

Athena Nangala Granites is a featured artist in —

Exhibition Opens May 9, 2025 THE LUME Indianapolis Featuring Connection: Land, Water, Sky Art & Culture from Indigenous Australians Learn More & Reserve Tickets