Pantu (Salt Lake) 9122, 2023

A very significant tjurkurpa (dreaming) to Anangu Aboriginal people is Kungkarangkalpa (Seven Sisters) which is an extensive creation story relating to the Pleiades constellation. The story traverses Australia taking different forms, and local women are privy to the part of the story which takes place in their country near Ernabella.

In her paintings, Janice Stanley depicts the Pantu (salt-lake) near Attila (Mt. Connor), a landmark in the Seven Sisters story. This story has been passed down to her by her Aunt Renita Stanley. In this part of the story, the sisters are traveling south through the arid country creating landforms in their wake. The Salt Lake comes alive after rain. As the kapi (water) moves across the land it transforms the color and light on the land and Janice is painting this change and movement.