Nampatjunanyi (Paint and Draw)

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REDOT FINE ART GALLERY in collaboration with Papunya Tjupi Arts presents

Nampatjunanyi (Paint and Draw) A Collection of Fine Papunya Tjupi Indigenous Art

16 November – 24 December 2016

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For a high resolution, downloadable, PDF version of this catalogue, with pricing, please send us an email to info@redotgallery.com Thank you.

c o n t e m p o r a r y

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Ulumpbaru - View from Warumpi Hill Source: © Photo Courtesy of Helen Puckey



Nampatjunanyi (Paint and Draw) The ReDot Fine Art Gallery is extremely honoured to host a tightly-curated show of desert gems from one of the youngest, most vibrant and recently established art centres, Papunya Tjupi Arts. Papunya Tjupi Arts is an Indigenous-owned and directed Art Centre based in Papunya, the birthplace of the Western Desert art movement, 240km north-east of Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory. Originally, it was home to the local Luritja, Pintupi and Anmatyerre tribes. However, during the 1980’s, artistic focus shifted elsewhere as the homeland movement saw the Pintupi tribes move further west with the creation of Kintore and Kiwirrkurra townships. Papunya Tjupi Arts relaunched in 2007, and despite economically challenging times since then, the art centre project has been a resounding success, injecting much needed community focus and revenue to one of the poorest parts of Northern Australia. This show features a dynamic collection of works from predominantly female


Indigenous artists. Their work is based upon strong local heritage, which invigorates and re-energises viewers. It is effervescent, bursting with vital dramatic energy, and pure. Due to the isolation of this community and the fact that English is at best the 3rd or 4th language for many of these artists, significant cultural integrity is retained in their art. Papunya is still home to renowned senior artists and remains a strong base for traditional culture with a regular men’s ceremony held in January and women’s ceremony held in the middle of the year. The art centre is named after the main Tjukurrpa or Dreaming of the Tjupi or Honey Ant with three local hills, collectively known as Warumpi Hill, in the shape of a honey ant. Nampatjunanyi (Paint and Draw), consisting of more than 15 paintings, focuses on the surging talents of a core group of women who have created the backbone of new art centre. Recent jewels by Candy Nelson Nakamarra enthral us with their complexity and mesmerising iconography, whilst Martha McDonald Napaltjarri’s work hints at the strong historical ties to the men’s work that emanated from the Papunya Tula movement of the early 1970’s. Interspersed between these two dynamic women are many other surprises as this strong group of ladies’ rebuke and refuse economic challenges and deliver stunning, affordable and highly sought after work for the discerning public and collector to appreciate. The exhibition begins on Wednesday 16 November and runs until Saturday 24 December 2016, with an official opening night on Thursday 1 December 2016. A mustsee show for anyone interested in following the recent developments in Indigenous Art and for those wondering what to buy that loved one for Christmas, a fantastic opportunity to acquire some of the most beautiful desert art being produced today in Australia.

Giorgio Pilla Director ReDot Fine Art Gallery

Papunya Tjupi Art Centre Source: © Photo Courtesy of Papunya Tjupi Arts



Candy NELSON NAKAMARRA Birth Date Place of Birth Language Skin/Clan

17 Nov 1964 Yuendumu Luritja Nakamarra

Candy Nelson Nakamarra was born in Yuendumu to Gladys Napanangka, one of the first women painters for Papunya Tula Artists, and renowned Papunya Tula artist Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula. Her mother was visiting Yuendumu on cultural business when she gave birth to Candy. Candy grew up in Papunya with her parents and brothers and sisters, Lindsay, Mike, Narlie and Dennis Nelson. From 1978 to 1990, Candy attended school in Papunya and later at Yirara College. Johnny Warangkula taught his children how to paint while passing down all the family stories to them. Candy and her young children used to watch Johnny paint in Alice Springs and Papunya, who would also tell them stories while he painted. They all paint the Kalipinypa Water Dreaming story which Candy continues to explore and reinvent in her painting. Candy has three children and her husband has passed away. Candy became a member of Papunya Tjupi in 2009, as a result of watching her sister Minnie paint. Since then she has proved herself to be a very committed artist who comes to the Art Centre every day. In 2014 Candy was nominated by the members to take on the role of a Director of Papunya Tjupi Arts for the first time.


Collections Macquarie Bank Collection, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Awards 2012 Winner – Interrelate Acquisitive Prize Wollotuka Acquisitive Art Prize (WAAP) University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

Selected Group Exhibitions 2016 2015 2014

Nampatjunanyi (Paint and Draw) - ReDot Fine Art Gallery, Singapore. Don’t you tell me... - Art Kelch, Freiburg, Germany. The Power of Naivity - Art Kelch, Freiburg, Germany. Salon des Refusés - Charles Darwin University Art Gallery, Darwin, NT, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia. Another Country – Art Aborigène Contemporain - International Development for Australian Indigenous Art (IDAIA), Paris, France. Keepers of Place: New Works from Papunya Tjupi - McCulloch & McCulloch (at fortyfivedownstairs), Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Streets of Papunya: The Reinvention of Papunya Painting - Drill Hall Gallery (at Australian National University), Canberra, ACT; RMIT Gallery, Melbourne, VIC; Flinders University Art Museum (FUAM), Adelaide, SA, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Arts 2016 - Honey Ant Gallery (at The Incinerator Art Space), Sydney, NSW, Australia. Rising Stars 2016 - Outstation Gallery, Darwin, NT, Australia. Streets of Papunya: The Reinvention of Papunya Painting - UNSW Galleries, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Salon des Refusés - Stokes Hill Warf, Darwin, NT, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia. Kungka Tjupi: New work from the women of Papunya Tjupi - Outstation Gallery, Darwin, NT, Australia. Desert Dreaming - Art Images Gallery, Adelaide, SA, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia.


2014 Kungka Tjutaku Wititjanku: Women Keeping Culture Strong - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Ngurra Nganampa (Community): Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. 2013 Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. 2012 Papunya Tjupi Artists - International Development for Australian Indigenous Art (IDAIA) and Galerie Karin Carton, Paris, France. Wollotuka Acquisitive Art Prize (WAAP) - University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. Desert Rhythm – Papunya Tjupi Arts - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Kapi Tjukurrpa – Water Dreaming - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. 2011 Papunya Tjupi Arts - Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia. Papunya Tjupi: Generations - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. New Prints from Papunya Tjupi Arts - Nomad Art, Canberra, ACT and Darwin, NT, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. 2010 Desert Stories Papunya Tjupi Now - Gecko Gallery, Broome, WA, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Papunya Power - Art Mob Gallery, Hobart, TAS, Australia. 2009 Papunya Tjupi Group Show - Gecko Gallery, Broome, WA, Australia. Building Papunya Tjupi - Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Introducing Papunya Tjupi and Ampilatwatja - Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Papunya Tjupi - Honey Ant Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Kalipinypa - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia.



Candy NELSON NAKAMARRA Kalipinypa Acrylic on Linen 152 x 91cm 209-16

The painting depicts designs associated with Kapi Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming) at Kalipinypa, a site northwest of Sandy Blight Junction, Western Australia. The tjukurrpa tells of an important rain making ceremony to invoke the elements. It is a powerful storm bringing on the lightning, thunderclouds and rain, sending its deluge to rejuvenate the earth, filling rock holes, clay pans and creeks. It has the power to create new life and growth upon the land. The different elements of the image represent puli (hills), tali (sandhills) and kapi (water). Plants and leaves springs up after the heavy rain, nourishing the land and the people. The concentric circles represent waterholes, while the arrow shapes represent the footprints of the white heron that frequents the site.



Candy NELSON NAKAMARRA Kalipinypa Acrylic on Linen 152 x 91cm 550-16

The painting depicts designs associated with Kapi Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming) at Kalipinypa, a site northwest of Sandy Blight Junction, Western Australia. The tjukurrpa tells of an important rain making ceremony to invoke the elements. It is a powerful storm bringing on the lightning, thunderclouds and rain, sending its deluge to rejuvenate the earth, filling rock holes, clay pans and creeks. It has the power to create new life and growth upon the land. The different elements of the image represent puli (hills), tali (sandhills) and kapi (water). Plants and leaves springs up after the heavy rain, nourishing the land and the people. The concentric circles represent waterholes, while the arrow shapes represent the footprints of the white heron that frequents the site.



Candy NELSON NAKAMARRA Kalipinypa Acrylic on Linen 122 x 91cm 508-16

The painting depicts designs associated with Kapi Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming) at Kalipinypa, a site northwest of Sandy Blight Junction, Western Australia. The tjukurrpa tells of an important rain making ceremony to invoke the elements. It is a powerful storm bringing on the lightning, thunderclouds and rain, sending its deluge to rejuvenate the earth, filling rock holes, clay pans and creeks. It has the power to create new life and growth upon the land. The different elements of the image represent puli (hills), tali (sandhills) and kapi (water). Plants and leaves springs up after the heavy rain, nourishing the land and the people. The concentric circles represent waterholes, while the arrow shapes represent the footprints of the white heron that frequents the site.



Candy NELSON NAKAMARRA Kalipinypa Acrylic on Linen 122 x 71cm 448-16

The painting depicts designs associated with Kapi Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming) at Kalipinypa, a site northwest of Sandy Blight Junction, Western Australia. The tjukurrpa tells of an important rain making ceremony to invoke the elements. It is a powerful storm bringing on the lightning, thunderclouds and rain, sending its deluge to rejuvenate the earth, filling rock holes, clay pans and creeks. It has the power to create new life and growth upon the land. The different elements of the image represent puli (hills), tali (sandhills) and kapi (water). Plants and leaves springs up after the heavy rain, nourishing the land and the people. The concentric circles represent waterholes, while the arrow shapes represent the footprints of the white heron that frequents the site.



Candy NELSON NAKAMARRA Kalipinypa Acrylic on Linen 122 x 46cm 565-15

The painting depicts designs associated with Kapi Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming) at Kalipinypa, a site northwest of Sandy Blight Junction, Western Australia. The tjukurrpa tells of an important rain making ceremony to invoke the elements. It is a powerful storm bringing on the lightning, thunderclouds and rain, sending its deluge to rejuvenate the earth, filling rock holes, clay pans and creeks. It has the power to create new life and growth upon the land. The different elements of the image represent puli (hills), tali (sandhills) and kapi (water). Plants and leaves springs up after the heavy rain, nourishing the land and the people. The concentric circles represent waterholes, while the arrow shapes represent the footprints of the white heron that frequents the site.



Candy NELSON NAKAMARRA Kalipinypa Acrylic on Linen 122 x 46cm 512-16

The painting depicts designs associated with Kapi Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming) at Kalipinypa, a site northwest of Sandy Blight Junction, Western Australia. The tjukurrpa tells of an important rain making ceremony to invoke the elements. It is a powerful storm bringing on the lightning, thunderclouds and rain, sending its deluge to rejuvenate the earth, filling rock holes, clay pans and creeks. It has the power to create new life and growth upon the land. The different elements of the image represent puli (hills), tali (sandhills) and kapi (water). Plants and leaves springs up after the heavy rain, nourishing the land and the people. The concentric circles represent waterholes, while the arrow shapes represent the footprints of the white heron that frequents the site.



Candy NELSON NAKAMARRA Kalipinypa Acrylic on Linen 122 x 46cm 519-16

The painting depicts designs associated with Kapi Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming) at Kalipinypa, a site northwest of Sandy Blight Junction, Western Australia. The tjukurrpa tells of an important rain making ceremony to invoke the elements. It is a powerful storm bringing on the lightning, thunderclouds and rain, sending its deluge to rejuvenate the earth, filling rock holes, clay pans and creeks. It has the power to create new life and growth upon the land. The different elements of the image represent puli (hills), tali (sandhills) and kapi (water). Plants and leaves springs up after the heavy rain, nourishing the land and the people. The concentric circles represent waterholes, while the arrow shapes represent the footprints of the white heron that frequents the site.



Maureen POULSON NAPANGARDI Birth Date Place of Birth Language Skin/Clan

15 May 1958 Haasts Bluff Luritja Napangardi

Maureen Napangardi Poulson and her sister Alice live in Papunya where they paint for Papunya Tjupi Arts. The sisters’ older brother Brogas Tjapangarti, who now lives in Alice Springs, painted for Papunya Tula Artists in the 1970s and early 1980s. Their father was Nyirri (Jimmy) Tjukurrpa, a Ngaliya man whose country was Kunatjarri and Pikilyi. Their mother was Pilyari Napurrula, a sister of Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula, who shared with him country around Ilpilli, Kalipinypa and Tjikari which Maureen and her siblings also share. Maureen grew up and went to school in Haasts Bluff. The family moved to Papunya in 1960 and Maureen has lived there since. She is now married and has two sons and two daughters but as yet no grandchildren. She started painting in 2008 paints daily at the art centre because it gives her great joy. Maureen spends many focused and dedicated hours on her dazzling diamond shaped designs representing her main dreaming story of Kalipinypa, a water dreaming site west of Kintore. Maureen says that she paints for enjoyment.


Collections Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Artbank Collection, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Selected Group Exhibitions 2016 Nampatjunanyi (Paint and Draw) - ReDot Fine Art Gallery, Singapore. The Power of Naivity - Art Kelch, Freiburg, Germany. Don’t you tell me... - Art Kelch, Freiburg, Germany. Salon des Refusés - Charles Darwin University Art Gallery, Darwin, NT, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia. Streets of Papunya: The Reinvention of Papunya Painting - Drill Hall Gallery (at Australian National University), Canberra, ACT; RMIT Gallery, Melbourne, VIC; Flinders University Art Museum (FUAM), Adelaide, SA, Australia. Keepers of Place: New Works from Papunya Tjupi - McCulloch & McCulloch (at fortyfivedownstairs), Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Arts 2016 - Honey Ant Gallery (at The Incinerator Art Space), Sydney, NSW, Australia. 2015 Streets of Papunya: The Reinvention of Papunya Painting - UNSW Galleries, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia. Kungka Tjupi: New work from the women of Papunya Tjupi - Outstation Gallery, Darwin, NT, Australia. Colors of Nature: Australian Contemporary Art - Shinsegae Gallery, Seoul, Korea. Desert Dreaming - Art Images Gallery, Adelaide, SA, Australia. New Narratives: Papunya Tjupi Prints - Kluge-Ruhe Museum, Charlottesville, VA, USA (with Cicada Press). 2014 Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia. Kungka Tjutaku Wititjanku: Women Keeping Culture Strong - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Garden of Eden - Talapi Gallery, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Ngurra Nganampa (Community): Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. 2013 Papunya Tjupi: New Work - Damien Minton Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia.


2013 New Paintings from Papunya Tjupi Arts - JGM Art Ltd, London, United Kingdom. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia. Papunya Tjupi - Chapman Gallery, Canberra, ACT, Australia. Seoul Open Art Fair 2013, Seoul, South Korea. Kapingka Punganynka Tjupi Tjutarringanyi - Marshall Arts, Adelaide, SA, Australia. 2012 Papunya Tjupi Artists - International Development for Australian Indigenous Art (IDAIA) and Galerie Karin Carton, Paris, France. Melbourne Art Fair 2012, Melbourne Exhibition Building, Melbourne, VIC, Australia (Represented by Damien Minton Gallery). Papunya Tjupi - Marshall Arts, Adelaide, SA, Australia. Women and Men - Harvison Gallery, Perth, WA, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Desert Rhythm – Papunya Tjupi Arts - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. 2011 Papunya Tjupi - Mina Mina Gallery, Brunswick Heads, NSW, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Arts - Damien Minton Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia. University of New South Wales (UNSW) International Showcase - University of New South Wales (UNSW) Kensington, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Arts - Art Kelch, Freiburg, Germany. Kuwarritja Tjutaku Papunya Tjupinya - Chapman Gallery, Canberra, ACT, Australia. New Prints from Papunya Tjupi Arts - Nomad Art, Canberra, ACT and Darwin, NT, Australia. Papunya Tjupi: Generations - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. 2010 Papunya Power - Art Mob Gallery, Hobart, TAS, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Arts Group Exhibition - Randell Lane Fine Art, Perth, WA, Australia. Desert Stories Papunya Tjupi Now - Gecko Gallery, Broome, WA, Australia. Tjukurrpa: Papunya Tjupi Arts - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. 2009 Kalipinypa - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.



Maureen POULSON NAPANGARDI Kapi Tjukurrpa - Kalipinypa Acrylic on Linen 183 x 107cm 315-16

The painting depicts designs associated with Kapi Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming) at Kalipinypa, a site northwest of Kintore. The tjukurrpa tells of an important rain making ceremony to invoke the elements. It is a powerful storm bringing on the lightning, thunderclouds and rain sending its deluge to rejuvenate the earth, filling rock holes, clay pans and creeks. It has the power to create new life and growth upon the land. Many artists at Papunya Tjupi Arts have inherited the rights to paint this site. Maureen’s depiction focuses on the lightning and the rain drops which over the years have formed Maureen’s own unique geometrical style that continues to develop and evolve.



Maureen POULSON NAPANGARDI Kapi Tjukurrpa - Kalipinypa Acrylic on Linen 152 x 91cm 710-15

The painting depicts designs associated with Kapi Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming) at Kalipinypa, a site northwest of Kintore. The tjukurrpa tells of an important rain making ceremony to invoke the elements. It is a powerful storm bringing on the lightning, thunderclouds and rain sending its deluge to rejuvenate the earth, filling rock holes, clay pans and creeks. It has the power to create new life and growth upon the land. Many artists at Papunya Tjupi Arts have inherited the rights to paint this site. Maureen’s depiction focuses on the lightning and the rain drops which over the years have formed Maureen’s own unique geometrical style that continues to develop and evolve.



Maureen POULSON NAPANGARDI Kapi Tjukurrpa - Kalipinypa Acrylic on Linen 122 x 71cm 661-16

The painting depicts designs associated with Kapi Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming) at Kalipinypa, a site northwest of Kintore. The tjukurrpa tells of an important rain making ceremony to invoke the elements. It is a powerful storm bringing on the lightning, thunderclouds and rain sending its deluge to rejuvenate the earth, filling rock holes, clay pans and creeks. It has the power to create new life and growth upon the land. Many artists at Papunya Tjupi Arts have inherited the rights to paint this site. Maureen’s depiction focuses on the lightning and the rain drops which over the years have formed Maureen’s own unique geometrical style that continues to develop and evolve.



Maureen POULSON NAPANGARDI Kapi Tjukurrpa - Kalipinypa Acrylic on Linen 91 x 76cm 677-16

The painting depicts designs associated with Kapi Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming) at Kalipinypa, a site northwest of Kintore. The tjukurrpa tells of an important rain making ceremony to invoke the elements. It is a powerful storm bringing on the lightning, thunderclouds and rain sending its deluge to rejuvenate the earth, filling rock holes, clay pans and creeks. It has the power to create new life and growth upon the land. Many artists at Papunya Tjupi Arts have inherited the rights to paint this site. Maureen’s depiction focuses on the lightning and the rain drops which over the years have formed Maureen’s own unique geometrical style that continues to develop and evolve.



Martha MCDONALD NAPALTJARRI Birth Date Place of Birth Language Skin/Clan

1940 Haasts Bluff Luritja Napaltjarri

Born at Haasts Bluff circa 1940, Martha McDonald Napaltjarri (also known by her ‘bush name’ of Tjulata) is the daughter of founding Papunya Tula artist Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi (c. 1920 – 1987) and his first wife. Shorty also married Martha’s mother’s sister Napulu Nangala after the death of her first husband and raised her six children as his own. Martha never attended school, except as a ‘house girl’ or cleaner for the upstairs part of the school. She had worked with linguist John Heffernan in the Papunya Literature production and Adult Education program and in the Papunya pre-school alongside her sister Linda Tjunkaya Syddick Napaltjarri. Martha is very proud of her language and is a skilled teacher, always offering to teach language to visitors and staff at the art centre. Martha did not paint much until 2008, only watching her father paint, since “in those days only men, no kungka [women]” painted. When she began painting for Papunya Tjupi, she rapidly emerged as a talented and meticulous painter. She is inspired by her father’s painting and memories of visiting her father’s country Warlukuritji and the stories she knows about it. Martha also enjoys making baskets and necklaces. She married Snowy McDonald, with whom she lived in Papunya until his death in 2013. Today, she resides in the tranquil surroundings of Blackwater outstation near Papunya at the base of the Ulumpbaru mountain range with her extended family, but continues to travel to the art centre daily to paint. She is also an important elder in the Papunya community and a Director of Papunya Tjupi Arts. Her enthusiasm and aliveness is quite tangible, and it is apparent in the vibrancy of what she shares through her art works.


Collections Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia. University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia. University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia. The British Museum, London, United Kingdom

Selected Solo Exhibitions 2015 Tjingurru: Martha McDonald Napaltjarri - Raft Artspace, Alice Springs, NT, Australia.

Selected Group Exhibitions 2016 Nampatjunanyi (Paint and Draw) - ReDot Fine Art Gallery, Singapore. Don’t you tell me... - Art Kelch, Freiburg, Germany. The Power of Naivity - Art Kelch, Freiburg, Germany. Streets of Papunya: The Reinvention of Papunya Painting - Drill Hall Gallery (at Australian National University), Canberra, ACT; RMIT Gallery, Melbourne, VIC; Flinders University Art Museum (FUAM), Adelaide, SA, Australia. Keepers of Place: New Works from Papunya Tjupi - McCulloch & McCulloch (at fortyfivedownstairs), Melbourne, VIC, Australia. The Blooming Desert - Talapi Gallery, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Arts 2016 - Honey Ant Gallery (at The Incinerator Art Space), Sydney, NSW, Australia. 2015 A Start with No End: Print Exhibition - The Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing; Nanjing Academy of Fine Arts, Nanjing; Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, Wuhan, China. Tarnanthi - Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia. Streets of Papunya: The Reinvention of Papunya Painting - UNSW Galleries, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia. Kungka Tjupi: New work from the women of Papunya Tjupi - Outstation Gallery, Darwin, NT, Australia. New Narratives: Papunya Tjupi Prints - Kluge-Ruhe Museum, Charlottesville, VA, USA (with Cicada Press). 2014 Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia.


2014 Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia. Seoul – Sydney: Contemporary Korean and Australian Prints - UNSW Galleries, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Seoul Open Art Fair 2014, Seoul, South Korea. Garden of Eden - Talapi Gallery, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Ngurra Nganampa (Community): Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. 2013 Papunya Tjupi: New Work - Damien Minton Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. 11th Annual Printmaking Exhibition and Conference for Chinese Academies and Colleges, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art, Guangzhou, China. Master Print Show 2013 - Cicada Press (at MLC School), Burwood, NSW, Australia. Kapingka Punganynka Tjupi Tjutarringanyi - Marshall Arts, Adelaide, SA, Australia. 2012 Cicada Press: Selected Images - Flinders Street Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Personal Space: Contemporary Chinese and Australia Prints - Guanlan Original Printmaking Base, Shenzhen; Central Academy of Fine Arts Gallery, Beijing; Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts Gallery, Xi’an; Luxun Academy of Fine Arts Gallery, Shenyang, China. Papunya Tjupi - Marshall Arts, Adelaide, SA, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Papunya Tjupi - Mina Mina Gallery, Brunswick Heads, NSW, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia. 2011 Collaboration and Connection - Cicada Press (at The Incinerator Art Space), Sydney, NSW, Australia. Messages from the South: Contemporary Australian Prints from COFA UNSW National Taiwan University of Arts, Taipei, Taiwan. University of New South Wales (UNSW) International Showcase - University of New South Wales (UNSW) Kensington, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Papunya Tjupi - Mina Mina Gallery, Brunswick Heads, NSW, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Arts - Art Kelch, Freiburg, Germany. The International Art on Paper Exhibition - Cicada Press (at Chiang Mai University Art Museum), Chiang Mai, Thailand. New Prints from Papunya Tjupi Arts - Nomad Art, Canberra, ACT and Darwin, NT, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Arts - Damien Minton Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Kuwarritja Tjutaku Papunya Tjupinya - Chapman Gallery, Canberra, ACT, Australia.


2010 Bowen Galleries, Wellington, New Zealand. Aboriginal Dreams – Indigenous Art from Papunya Tjupi - Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Karachi, Pakistan. Building Papunya Tjupi - Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Desert Stories – Papunya Tjupi Now - Gecko Gallery, Broome, WA, Australia. Papunya Power - Art Mob Gallery, Hobart, TAS, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Arts Group Exhibition - Randell Lane Fine Art, Perth, WA, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Tjukurrpa: Papunya Tjupi Arts - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. 2009 Art Sydney 2009 – Printworks - Cicada Press (at Royal Hall of Industries), Sydney, NSW, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Introducing Papunya Tjupi and Ampilatwatja - Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Group Show - Gecko Gallery, Broome, WA, Australia. Building Papunya Tjupi - Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Papunya Tjupi - Honey Ant Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Kalipinypa - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. 2007 Papunya Tjupi: A New Beginning - Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia.




Martha MCDONALD NAPALTJARRI Warlukuritji Acrylic on Linen 46 x 122cm 674-16

In this painting, Martha has depicted Walukuritji, one of a series of clay pans to the south of Lake MacDonald, all of which were significant for her late father Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi (c. 1920 - 1987). The surrounding dot matrix depicts the tapestry of different types of vegetation across the landscape.



Martha MCDONALD NAPALTJARRI Warlukuritji Acrylic on Linen 71 x 46cm 461-16

In this painting, Martha has depicted Walukuritji, one of a series of clay pans to the south of Lake MacDonald, all of which were significant for her late father Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi (c. 1920 - 1987). The curved lines that divide the image represent creeks. Concentric circles represent kapi (water holes) and puli (creeks). The surrounding dot matrix depicts the tapestry of different types of vegetation across the landscape.



Martha MCDONALD NAPALTJARRI Warlukuritji Acrylic on Linen 61 x 46cm 355-16

In this painting, Martha has depicted Walukuritji, one of a series of clay pans to the south of Lake MacDonald, all of which were significant for her late father Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi (c. 1920 - 1987). The surrounding dot matrix depicts the tapestry of different types of vegetation across the landscape.



Martha MCDONALD NAPALTJARRI Warlukuritji Acrylic on Linen 71 x 30cm 489-16

In this painting, Martha has depicted Walukuritji, one of a series of clay pans to the south of Lake MacDonald, all of which were significant for her late father Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi (c. 1920 - 1987). The curved lines that divide the image represent creeks. Concentric circles represent kapi (water holes) and puli (creeks). The surrounding dot matrix depicts the tapestry of different types of vegetation across the landscape.



Mary ROBERTS NAKAMARRA Birth Date Place of Birth Language Skin/Clan

6 Mar 1974 Kakalipu (West Papunya) Luritja Nakamarra

Painting goes back two generations in Mary Roberts Nakamarra’s family, but so far she is the only one of her five siblings to take up painting. She joined Papunya Tjupi in 2008, having been taught how to paint on canvas by her father Murphy Roberts Tjupurrula, who was one of the most respected senior lawmen in the Papunya community and also a Lutheran pastor. Murphy worked in the church at Haasts Bluff when Mary was a young girl and she remembers watching her maternal grandfather Limpi Tjapangati, one of the early Papunya Tula painters, working on his canvases. Elements of his distinctive style are discernible in Mary’s work. Born in 1974, Mary attended school at Haasts Bluff until she was eleven years old. Her family later moved to Papunya, where her father continued his role as a Lutheran pastor and worked in the Papunya school, composing many titles for the Literature Production Centre. After completing her studies at Yirara College in Alice Springs, Mary returned to Papunya where she worked for ten years in the Papunya preschool as a teacher’s aide. Mary’s aunty Lorabelle Puntungunka, her mother’s younger sister, had joined Papunya Tjupi Arts at the outset. It was Lorabelle who told Mary she should paint her grandfather’s stories. Mary said, “she told me to paint before she passed away. I was thinking that I want to paint that story”. Mary continues to refine her distinct visual language and is now one of the most sought-after artists of Papunya Tjupi.


Collections Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Selected Group Exhibitions 2016 Nampatjunanyi (Paint and Draw) - ReDot Fine Art Gallery, Singapore. Don’t you tell me... - Art Kelch, Freiburg, Germany. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia Streets of Papunya: The Reinvention of Papunya Painting - Drill Hall Gallery (at Australian National University), Canberra, ACT; RMIT Gallery, Melbourne, VIC; Flinders University Art Museum (FUAM), Adelaide, SA, Australia. Keepers of Place: New Works from Papunya Tjupi - McCulloch & McCulloch (at fortyfivedownstairs), Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Papunya Tjupi Arts 2016 - Honey Ant Gallery (at The Incinerator Art Space), Sydney, NSW, Australia. 2015 Streets of Papunya: The Reinvention of Papunya Painting - UNSW Galleries, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia Kungka Tjupi: New work from the women of Papunya Tjupi - Outstation Gallery, Darwin, NT, Australia. New Narratives: Papunya Tjupi Prints - Kluge-Ruhe Museum, Charlottesville, VA, USA (with Cicada Press). 2014 Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia Seoul Open Art Fair 2014, Seoul, South Korea. Kungka Tjutaku Wititjanku: Women Keeping Culture Strong - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Ngurra Nganampa (Community): Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. 2013 New Paintings from Papunya Tjupi Arts - JGM Art Ltd, London, United Kingdom. Papunya Tjupi Artists – Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia Papunya Tjupi - Chapman Gallery, Canberra, ACT, Australia. Art Stage Singapore 2013, Singapore (Represented by Mossenson Galleries).


2013 Seoul Open Art Fair 2013, Seoul, South Korea. Kapingka Punganynka Tjupi Tjutarringanyi - Marshall Arts, Adelaide, SA, Australia. 2012 Desert Rhythm – Papunya Tjupi Arts - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Belongings - Australasian Arts Projects (at Australian High Commission) Singapore. Papunya Power - Art Mob Gallery, Hobart, TAS, Australia. 2011 Papunya Tjupi Arts - Damien Minton Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Papunya Tjupi - Mina Mina Gallery, Brunswick Heads, NSW, Australia. University of New South Wales (UNSW) International Showcase - University of New South Wales (UNSW) Kensington, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Papunya Tjupi: Generations - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Kuwarritja Tjutaku Papunya Tjupinya - Chapman Gallery, Canberra, ACT, Australia. New Prints from Papunya Tjupi Arts - Nomad Art, Canberra, ACT and Darwin, NT, Australia. 2010 Desert Stories Papunya Tjupi Now - Gecko Gallery, Broome, WA, Australia. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin, NT, Australia. Tjukurrpa: Papunya Tjupi Arts - Mossenson Galleries, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.



Mary ROBERTS NAKAMARRA Yalka Tjukurrpa (Bush Onion) - Murini Acrylic on Linen 152 x 91cm 609-16

Mary has depicted designs associated with Yalka Tjukurrpa (Bush Onion Dreaming) at Murini, West of Haasts Bluff, near Winparrku, another sacred site. The Yalka is a traditional bush food represented here by the circles with meandering lines eminating from them. The long parallel lines represent creek beds, with waterholes being the concentric circles. U shapes are the women and the short parallel lines are wana (digging sticks) and trees. Bush onions may be eaten raw or cooked after removing the hard casing. They are a small onion sedge with corms on shallow roots, the size of a small shallot. The women would perform a traditional ceremony in honour of the Bush Onion where they dance and paint their breast, chest and forearms in ceremonial body designs. They also decorate their bodies with feathers and dance with ceremonial objects such as nulla nullas (ceremonial dancing baton).



Mary ROBERTS NAKAMARRA Yalka Tjukurrpa (Bush Onion) - Murini Acrylic on Linen 122 x 91cm 645-16

Mary has depicted designs associated with Yalka Tjukurrpa (Bush Onion Dreaming) at Murini, West of Haasts Bluff, near Winparrku, another sacred site. The Yalka is a traditional bush food represented here by the circles with meandering lines eminating from them. The long parallel lines represent creek beds, with waterholes being the concentric circles. U shapes are the women and the short parallel lines are wana (digging sticks) and trees. Bush onions may be eaten raw or cooked after removing the hard casing. They are a small onion sedge with corms on shallow roots, the size of a small shallot. The women would perform a traditional ceremony in honour of the Bush Onion where they dance and paint their breast, chest and forearms in ceremonial body designs. They also decorate their bodies with feathers and dance with ceremonial objects such as nulla nullas (ceremonial dancing baton).



Mary ROBERTS NAKAMARRA Yalka Tjukurrpa (Bush Onion) - Murini Acrylic on Linen 91 x 76cm 524-16

Mary has depicted designs associated with Yalka Tjukurrpa (Bush Onion Dreaming) at Murini, West of Haasts Bluff, near Winparrku, another sacred site. The Yalka is a traditional bush food represented here by the circles with meandering lines eminating from them. The long parallel lines represent creek beds, with waterholes being the concentric circles. U shapes are the women and the short parallel lines are wana (digging sticks) and trees. Bush onions may be eaten raw or cooked after removing the hard casing. They are a small onion sedge with corms on shallow roots, the size of a small shallot. The women would perform a traditional ceremony in honour of the Bush Onion where they dance and paint their breast, chest and forearms in ceremonial body designs. They also decorate their bodies with feathers and dance with ceremonial objects such as nulla nullas (ceremonial dancing baton).


In conjunction with

With Special Thanks to

The Artists of Papunya Tjupi Arts Outside the Studio Source: © Photo Courtesy of Papunya Tjupi Arts


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