Chara the fireman 1972 is one of Thanakupi’s earliest works – exhibited at her communal studio–house ‘Volta’, in the Sydney suburb of Glebe. This 20-tiled mural conveys the fire maintenance story of Chara, who ‘steals’ or extinguishes the fire of the Napranum tribes. A custom of the Napranum tribes was to appease Chara with food offerings, which he would collect during the night. When the tribespeople failed to do so, an enraged Chara would extinguish the vital resource. This mural serves as a diagrammatic reminder of the importance of continuing and maintaining traditional customs and practice.

(This story was originally told to Thanakupi by Old Man Cockroach.)