Eileen Tjayanka Woods, The Seven Sisters. 2010. 121cm x 101cm. Acrylic on canvas. Papulankutja Artists. (#10-401)

Tjayanka Woods, a senior Pitjantjatjara artist, was born around 1925, near Kalaya Pirti (Emu Water) near Mimili and Wataru, South Australia, As a child she lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle in the bush with her parents, frequently camping at Kalaya Pirti where they would hunt Ngintaka (goanna), Tinka (lizards), Kalaya (emu) and gather bushfoods such as Kampurarpa (desert raisin), Ili (figs) and Maku (wood grubs). Years before she would sit with her firends Wingu Tingima and Angampa Martin, beside a camp fire and weave multi-coloured baskets surrounded by bags of raffia, tjanpi, emu feathers and camp dogs. To this day she loves to make Tjanpi (weaving) and has a mob of dogs that surround her wherever she goes.

Her actual age is hard to determine, but her daughter and other references put her as probably mid 90's, her official birth date would have been recorded long after her birth.

Tjayanka refers to the Minyma Kutjara tjukurpa in her paintings as well as Kungkarrangkalpa. They are structured like mud-maps, tracing the journey for each story on the canvas showing the rock-holes and land formations through the country. For Minyma Kutjara incorporated into the paintings is the flight of the eagle, her grandfather, who flies above the path of the sisters. "This is my father's country close up to Irrunytju. The two sisters were travelling through this country. My grandfather, he is this eagle in my painting. You can see where he flew,' she will tell you.

This is a popular dreamtime story of seven ladies being chased through the desert by one man. There are numerous scenarios as these ladies travel around. Eventually they rise up into the sky and form the Peliades, a group of seven stars seen in the southern skies. There are many variations of this story.

Papulankutja or Blackstone Community was established after Ngaanyatjarra people walked out of Warburton mission in the 1970s and returned to their land in the shadow of the spectacular Blackstone Range west of the tri-state border. Papulankutja Artists was established in 2001 and incorporated in 2004 growing out of Blackstone’s women’s centre. After many years of working through the women’s centre and then the community hall, Papulankutja Artists opened their own purpose built art studio in 2009. Papulankutja Artists are very community focussed. Today, women and men, young people and old people, work together. By purchasing an artwork from an Indigenous owned and governed art centre you are supporting the community. 60% goes directly to the artist and 40% is reimbursed back into the art centre to buy materials so the artists can continue to produce beautiful work and celebrate their culture.