Contemporary carvings by Anangu (Central and Western Desert Aboriginal people) are known as punu, hand carved and decorated with walka: patterns burnt into the wood with heated wire. The animals all have their associations with the Tjukurpa, the stories of the Creation Ancestors and the activities which shaped the land, the people and their Law. Many details of Tjukurpa are restricted to senior custodians and cannot be revealed.

Wanampi  or Water Serpents, are powerful creatures that inhabit and guard over waterholes. Local custodians hold the stories of the ancestors’ activities at specific sites across the country and thus know where the Wanampi are located. These ancestors are always treated with special reverence and respect for their powers and waterholes are never approached lightly.

David has been been helping and learning from his father, renowned senior carver, Billy Cooley, for many years and has now become an accomplished carver in his own right. Although inspired by the desert species they live with, it’s from Billy’s mother’s country at Boorooloola that they are related to the Water Serpent Dreaming. In 2014 David began to apply the Central Desert dot painting style to his carvings and remains one of the few people to do this. His partner Maria Khan has helped with the painting of this wanampi.