Wira (small bowl)

The wira is a smaller version of the piti or wooden bowl which is a traditional woman’s carrying vessel for food and water. It is used in many ways including as a ladle for collecting water and for digging . Contemporary artists use walka, patterns burnt into the wood with wire heated on a wood fire. These relate Tjukurpa, stories about the Tjukuritja (Creation Ancestors) and the activities which shaped the land, the people and their law. Many of the details of Tjukurpa are restricted to senior custodians so it is not possible to describe the full story behind the walka.

 

Dianne Golding hasn’t elaborated on the story of this walka, however it is one of the most classic of traditional desert design. Series of curving lines are often described as sand dunes and can also be seen as the shapes of people sleeping in a windbreak. In telling stories, women sit drawing with sticks in the sand as they talk and they say walka is like this, the rhythmic strokes that accompany stories.

 

Dianne has also used kiti or spinifex resin, a traditional glue, to strengthen her bowl.

 

Dianne Ungukalpi Golding is an artist belonging to the Ngaanyatjarra language and cultural group in Western Australia, and lives with her family in Warakurna. Her skills have been passed on through the Tjukurpa, the Law and way of life governing her country. Dianne is an experienced carver who has been working with Maruku a long time. She is passionate about carving piti, traditional collecting bowls and she started in 2022 to do her first sculptures. She is also a widely exhibited artist with both Warakurna Arts and Tjanpi Desert Weavers. Her artworks are held in several collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, the Western Australian Museum and the National Museum of Australia.