Mitjili Napurrula

Date of Birth

1945 – 2019

Place of Birth

Haasts Bluff, Northern Territory

Language Group

Pintupi

Community

Haasts Bluff, Northern Territory

Who is Mitjili Napurrula?

Mitjili Napurrula was born in 1945 at Papunya, 200 km west of Alice Springs. She is the daughter of the late Tupa Tjakamarra and Tjunkiya Napatljarri.

What does Mitjili Napurrula paint?

Mitjili Napurrula paints in a distinctive and highly recognisable way, representing the watiya tjuta tree, at times interspersed with red sandhills. The bold shapes and designs are formed to make harmonious images of this important country at her father’s site at Uwalki, near the Kintore Ranges. Her repeated tree motifs represent the women’s side of this Tjukurrpa, showing the trees that are the source of the wood used in spear shafts.

Who were Mitjili’s major artistic influences?

Mitjili’s mother Tjunkayi Napaltjarri taught her some of these important motifs, drawing them in the sand in the traditional way. Mitjili Napurrula has strong connections to Papunya artists – her brother Turkey Tjupurrula Tolson and her husband Long Tom Tjapanangka were major artists in the Desert Art movement.Mitjili Napurrula has an impressive exhibition history with regular art events dating from 1993.

Aboriginal Art Status

Highly Regarded Artist

Collections

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
Artbank
Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs
Edith Cowan University Art Collection, Perth
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
Hank Ebes Collection, Melbourne
Kaplan and Levi Collection, Seattle
Fondation Burkhardt-Felder Arts et Culture, Moitiers, Switzerland

Awards & Recognition

1999 Alice Prize (Central Australian Art Award), Alice Springs
1997 14th NATSIAA, Darwin – Finalist
1996 Heritage Award, Canberra
1995 12th NATSIAA, Darwin – Finalist
1994 Northern Territory Art Award, Alice Springs
1994 Heritage Art Award, Canberra
1993 The Australian Heritage Award, Canberra ACT

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2008 Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
2000 Niagara Galleries, Melbourne
1998 Niagara Galleries, Melbourne
1997 Niagara Galleries, Melbourne
1996 Niagara Galleries, Melbourne

Selected Group Exhibitions

1994 Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs NT
1994 Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne VIC
1993 Australian Heritage Art Award, Canberra ACT
1994 Australian Heritage Art Award, Canberra ACT
1994 Hotel Shangri-la and Australian High Commission, Singapore
1994 Adelaide Fringe Festival, Adelaide SA
1994 Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney NSW
1995 Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin NT
1995 Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne VIC
1995 Hogarth Galleries, Sydney NSW
1995 Australian Heritage Art Award, Canberra ACT
1996 Australian Heritage Art Award, Canberra ACT
1996 Gallerie Australis, Adelaide SA
1996 The Meeting Place- touring Exhibition- Australia
1996 Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin NT
1996 Niagara Galleries, Melbourne VIC
1997 Aboriginal Art Galerie Bahr, Speyer, Germany
1997 Goteborgs Konforening, Goteborg, Sweden
1997 Arnhem, The Netherlands
1997 Australian Heritage Art Award, Canberra ACT
1997 Alliance Fiancaise, Canberra ACT
1997 Hogarth Galleries, Sydney NSW
1997 Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs NT
1998 Art Gallery, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
1998 Adelaide Fringe Festival, Adelaide SA
1998 Spazio Pitti Arte Florence, Italy
1998 Niagara Galleries, Melbourne VIC
1998 Framed Gallery, Darwin NT
1998 Australian Heritage Art Award, Canberra ACT
1998 Museum of Art, Uni of Melbourne VIC
1998 Niagara Galleries, Melbourne VIC
1998 Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs NT
1999 Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs NT
1999 Hogarth Galleries, Sydney NSW
1999 Flinders Art Museum Flinders Uni, Adelaide SA
1999 Aboriginal Art Galerie Bahr, Speyer, Germany
2000 Solo – Niagara Galleries, Melbourne VIC
2000 Aboriginal Art Galerie Bahr, Speyer, Germany
2001 Galerie Knud Grothe, Charlottenlund Denmark
2002 Aboriginal Art Galerie Bahr, Speyer, Germany
2004 Minnie Pwerle and Mitjili Napurrula, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA
2005 Across Skin – Women Artists of the Western Desert, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA
2006 Towards Black & White -Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA
2007 Mitjili Napurrula, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA
2008 Black & White: Inspired by Landscapes, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
2009 A decade of Australia’s indigenous fine art 1999-2009, Salt Gallery, Queenscliff, VIC
2010 Desert Country, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
2011 In Black and White, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA
2020 Colours of Spring, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
2021 Country in Mind, University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD

Links

Art Gallery of New South Wales – Kumuntjai Napurrula
Aboriginal Artist Mitjili Napurrula – YouTube