Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa was a well-known artist and respected Elder of Anmatyerre/Arrernte heritage. Many of his artworks have a strong sense of symmetry, which means that one half is a mirror image of the other.

The Goanna is one of the traditional Dreaming stories that Kaapa represented in his work. Goanna Story c.1973–74 shows four of the reptiles moving towards the middle of the image, which may represent a waterhole.

Feature image: (l–r) Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa's Untitled (Goanna Story) 1971 and Goanna Story c.1973–74 installed in QAG's Australian Galleries, August 2024 / © Estate of Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa/Licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency / Photograph: C Callistemon, QAGOMA