Esther Bruno Nangala Paintings

Esther Bruno Nangala is a Luritja/Pintupi artist born in 1981. She is the granddaughter of Naata Nungurrayi, a legend of the Western Desert Art movement. Esther was born in Alice Springs and brought up in Christmas Creek, near Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley region of WA, and later in Kintore.

Esther attended school at Yirara College in Alice Springs, then returned to Kintore in 1999. There she started to paint under the tutelage of Naata Nungurrayi and Nancy Ross Nungurrayi. At the same time, Esther was involved in important cultural initiatives, such as translating some Pintupi songs into English.

Esther Bruno began painting her own work in 2009. Since then, she has developed her style and technique, presenting stories belonging to the important women’s site of Marrapinti. Nuanced in her use of colour and her execution of intricate designs, Esther is an important emerging voice in the world of Aboriginal art.

In Esther’s paintings, we can see the influence of her grandmother’s work, especially when she represents aspects of Women’s Law and the Tingari knowledge cycle. Esther uses the typical symbols of Western Desert art in her work when she shows features of traditional women’s roles in cultural events. In 2022, Esther’s paintings were shown in France at the Art Paris art fair, and she has also painted significant works for the Sydney Peace Prize Foundation. Esther Bruno Nangala now spends her time between Kintore and Alice Springs.

Selected Exhibitions

2012 Heirs and Successors, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA
2012 Desert Gold, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA
2014 Desert Song, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA
2019 Landscape Colours, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA