Mitjili Napurulla

Born:        1945

People:     Pintupi

Language: Pintupi

Area:          Kintore

Mitjili Napurulla

Recognised as one of the most famous Pintupi women painters and coming from a patrilineal line of painters Mitjili commenced painting in 1993. Her mother, Tjunkayi Napaltjarri, was involved in the ‘Minyma Tjukurrpa Project’ (a collection of women painters from Kintore and the Ikuntji Women’s centre in 1994) and consequently became one of the principal women painters at Kintore. Her brother is perhaps the most acclaimed painter in her line – the Great Turkey Tolson who is one of the founding members and principal painters for Papunya Tula. Her sister, Wintjiya Napaltjarri is one of the three wives of Tupa, Turkey Tolson’s father, and her husband Long Tom Tjapanangka is a leading painter at Haasts Bluff who recently won the prestigious 1999 N.T. Telstra Art Award and has many works held in public collections nationally.

Turkey Tolson paints the Tjukurrpa or Dreaming associated with the assembly of spears. Representing the female side of this dreaming, Mitjili concentrates on the trees, which provide the wood. Taught her fathers dreaming by her mother, Mitjili has a close association with the spear dreaming as her father’s country Ulwalki is where the trees that provide the wood for spear making are found. Her symbolic representations are strongly patterned works with distinctive contrasts in the use of colour. Formative symbols take shape against a dotted white background – creating depth and movement – a playful combination on the eye.

Other Dreamings Mitjili has inherited include Wangunu or Portulaca (small black seeds ground and used to make damper). And Arkatjirri – a fruit similar to a sultana that is found in the bush. A large body of her work includes vibrant reds, yellows and browns, which serve to communicate the essence of flowers, many of her works being primarily concerned with their representation.

Her superb sense for spacing and colour is distinctively appealing and indicative of her playful manner. Her works are widely collected both publicly and privately and have been exhibited both nationally and internationally.

Collections:

Art Gallery of New South Wales, NSW;

Artbank, NSW;

Baillieu Myer, de Young Museum, San Fransisco, USA;

Flinders University, SA;

Campbelltown Regional Gallery, NSW;

Latrobe University, Vic;

Mornington Peninsula Gallery, Vic;

Art Gallery of South Australia, SA;

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, NT;

National Gallery of Victoria, Vic;

National Gallery of Australia, ACT;

Art Gallery of Western Australia, WA;

Private collections, Australia & overseas

Exhibitions of her work include:

Ikuntji: Paintings from Haasts Bluff 1992-94’,

Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne 1994,

Adelaide Fringe Festival 1994,

 Hotel Shangri-la and Australian High Commission, Singapore 1994,

‘Ikuntji Artists from Haasts Bluff’, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney 1994,

Yiribana Gallery opening exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales 1994,

‘Paintings from Haasts Bluff’ Hogarth Galleries Sydney 1995.

‘Miljili Napurrula and Marlee Napurrula’ Flinders Lane Gallery Melbourne 1995.

Awards of excellence including:

The Australian Heritage Art Award, Canberra 1993,

Northern Territory Art Award, Alice Springs 1994,

The 1999 Alice Springs Art Award.