Ininti at Muruntji, 2023

Virgillia Multa Napangardi  

Virgillia Multa depicted the flowers and seeds that grow on the ininti tree, which is found abundantly at Muruntji, west of Kungkayunti (Browns Bore), the artist's family's home region in the central desert of Australia. The ininti flower later provides the seeds for making necklaces and is abundant on the towering ininti trees that grow along dry riverbeds throughout the Western Desert. The ininti tree (bat-wing coral tree) is native to the Western Desert of central Australia, growing in the sand around creek beds. Ininti grow abundantly in the Muruntji area, where the artist spent much time collecting seeds.

Virgillia Multa and her mother Patricia Multa both paint Ininti in Muruntji, expressing the colors and movement of the Ininti tree and its seeds and flowers throughout the seasons. Patricia remembers collecting the seeds as a child and making traditional necklaces with them. The seeds can be found in the sand or inside the pods still on the trees. The seeds naturally grow in varied colors, ranging from dark red to light yellow. The flowers are equally vibrant, ranging from rich oranges to reds. Ininti are still collected today and made into desert jewelry at the Ikuntji Artists' Cooperative.

Provenance: Ikuntji Artists (Official Aboriginal Artists Cooperative), Haasts Bluff, Northern Territory, Australia.
Ref. No: 23-VM249

The work is accompanied by the official certificate of authenticity from the artist's cooperative. The name of the Aboriginal artists' cooperative and the unique registration number assigned to the work are indicated on the back of the canvas, allowing the ethical and authentic provenance of the work to be traced.