Japingka’s Gallery one is filled with paintings from an amazing family in the Western Desert.

The artists are Katherine Marshall Nakamarra & Debra Young Nakamarra. They are the daughters of the equally famous, the late Walangkura Napanangka and these paintings just sing off the wall.

They’re very dynamic and they have great energy. The daughters are carrying on the tradition of their mother Walangkura in painting the sacred women’s sites that belong to their ancestors. It’s country around Kintore in the desert area of West Australia near the Northern Territory.

The colour sings, the structures are dynamic. They really leap off the walls. It is just a powerful body of work, and it reflects their commitment to their women’s Dreaming stories and their mother’s art.

Michelle Possum and Gabriella Possum

This exhibition is paired with an exhibition by the daughters of Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri.  Michelle Possum and Gabriella Possum have also painted traditional country, referring more to their grandmother’s tradition.

They have stylistic elements that are related to Clifford Possum’s way of painting. However they have also drawn in the women’s stories, which was obviously not part of Clifford Possum’s painting repertoire.

These are the Possum family stories relating to women and they carry on the family painting tradition into the new generation.

People often ask us how is the future of aboriginal art.  How is it being passed down from the great founding artists to their children and then on to their children?  I think this exhibition exemplifies how a younger generation have carried on the tradition in a remarkable way.

Learn More About These Artists:

• Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi
• Debra Young Nakamarra
• Katherine Marshall Nakamarra
• Michelle Possum Nungurrayi
• Walangkura Napanangka

Explore More Artwork From These Regions:

• Mt Allan Region
• Kintore Region