Mitjili Napurrula

Mitjili Napurrula

Born: c.1945
Country: Ikuntji (Haasts Bluff)-NT
Language group: Pintupi

Mitjili Naparrula is one of the most well known Aboriginal women painters. She is a Pintupi woman born at Haasts Bluff in about 1945 and she first began painting in 1993 for the Ikuntji Womens Centre. Mitjili paints her fathers Dreaming, Uwalki, which is the story of the spear straightening ceremony as taught to her by her mother. Mitjili also paints the topography of her father’s country with its pristine sandhills, shrubs and Uwalki Trees.
Her family is one of great importance in the Aboriginal community of Papunya. Her mother is well known artist Tjunkayi Napaltjarri who was involved in the ‘Minyma Tjukurrpa Project’ and consequently became one of the principal women painters at Kintore. Her brother is the late chairman of Papunya Tula Artists, Turkey Tolson, who is also renowned for his artworks which are sought by investors all over the world. Mitjili was married to artist Long Tom Tjapanangka. Long Tom won the prestigious 1999 Telstra Art Award. Mitjili’s sister is Wintjiya Napaltjarri and wife to Turkey Tolsen’s father, Tupa.

Mitjili Napurrula and Adam Knight