Dorothy Napangardi is an Internationally renowned Australian artist. A Warlpiri woman from Pikilyi, she paints her country and her Dreamings of this remote area, 380 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. Her works have featured in exhibitions right throughout Australia, Europe and America, and she is regarded as one of the leading artists of the Australian Aboriginal art movement. Born in the early 1950s, Dorothy grew up in the community of Yuendumu where her father is a senior lawman. She has five daughters and four grandchildren who live in Yuendumu and Alice Springs. Two of her daughters are artists Julie Nangala Robinson and Sabrina Nangala Robinson, whose works were shown in an exhibition 2004 along with Dorothy, titled Ngati Jinta (One Mother) in Sydney.
Dorothy was first introduced to painting in 1987 when she moved to Alice Springs, by her friend and wonderful artist, the late Eunice Napangardi. An early work (1993) of Yuparli Bush Banana is a good example of Eunices encouragement to the younger artist. Dorothy now paints her country, Mina Mina in distinctive style, some works featuring simplistic black and white linear patterns with fine infill dotting, and others introducing subtle colouring throughout the painting. She portrays her land and Jukurrpa (Dreaming in particular associated with the country, travelling and the perpetuation of life) with intricate patterning and ever changing perspective.
Dorothy’s paintings are highly sought after by both collectors and galleries worldwide. She was immediately noticed and acclaimed when her early artworks were first shown. In 1991 she won the Best Painting in European Media, 8th National Aboriginal Art Award; in 1998 the Northern Territory Art Award; and she was “Highly Commended” for the 16th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award in 1999. In 2001 Dorothy won the 18th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award with her spectacular black and white painting titled, “Salt on Mina Mina”.
Dorothy’s paintings are included in the most prestigious museums, galleries, institutions and collections throughout the World.
Dorothy now resides in Alice Springs where she paints full time.
Selected Awards
1991
Museums and Art Galleries Award (Best painting in European media), National Aboriginal Art Award, Northern Territory Museum of Arts and Sciences, Darwin
1999
Highly Commended, 16th NATSIAA, Museum and Art Gallery of NT, Darwin
2001
First Prize, 18th NATSIAA, Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory, Darwin
Selected Collections
Artbank, Sydney
Art Gallery of South Australia
Linden Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
National Gallery of Victoria
Queensland Museum
South Australian Festival Centre Foundation
The Australia Council Collection, Sydney
The Erskine Collection, NSW
The Homesglen Institute of TAFE Collection, Victoria
The Kaplan-Levi Collection, Seattle, USA.
The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, LA, USA.
The Kerry Stokes Collection, Perth, WA
The Vroom Collection, The Netherlands
Selected Exhibitions
2006
Dorothy Napangardi, Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco
2005
Mina Mina Country, Crown Point Press Gallery, San Francisco
2004
Ngati Jinta (One Mother), Gallery Gondwa at the Depot Gallery, Sydney
2003
Collectors Show, Gallery Gondwana at The Depot Gallery, Sydney
Dancing Up Country; the work of Dorothy Napangardi – Museum of Contemporary Art, MCA, Sydney
2002
Dorothy Napangardi and Sabrina Nangala, Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs
Native Title Business – Contemporary Indigenous Art, National Travelling Exhibition, Gurang Land Council (Aboriginal Corporation)
Kana-kurlangu, Dorothy Napangardi, Gallery Gondwana at The Depot Gallery, Sydney
Indecorous Abstraction – Contemporary Women Painters, Gallery AIT ARTS, Adelaide
2001
Dorothy Napangardi, New Paintings, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
Mina Mina Dorothy Napangardi, Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs
Masterworks, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
Country After Rain, Framed Gallery, Darwin
Land of Diversity, The Northern Territory, at Hogarth Galleries, Paddington
Dreamtime-The Light and the Dark, Sammlung Essl, Klosterneuburg, Vienna, Austria
31st Alice Prize, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs
The Art of Place Exhibition, Australian Heritage Commission, Old Parliament House, Canberra
2000
Songlines: Walala Tjapaltjarri and Dorothy Napangardi, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, UK and Adelaide Festival, Gallery Australis, SA
Recent Paintings by Dorothy Napangardi, Vivian Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
Dorothy Napangardi, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney
5th National Indigenous Heritage Art Award, Australian Heritage Commission, Canberra
1999
Recent works by Dorothy Napangardi, Chapman Gallery, Canberra
My Country – Journey of our Ancestors, Ancient Earth Indigenous Art, Cairns
The Redlands Westpac Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney
Treading Softly, Chapman Gallery, Canberra
Recent works by Dorothy Napangardi and Walala Tjapaltjarri, Vivian Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
Painting the Desert, Alliance Francaise de Canberra and French Embassy, Canberra
1998
Warlpiri Women, Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs
Northern Territory Art Award, Alice Springs
Napangardi Dreaming – Ceremony and Song, Hogarth Gallery, Sydney