Artists

Sabrina Nangala Robertson was born in Alice Springs Hospital, the closest hospital to Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community 290 north-west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. She is the daughter of the acclaimed Aboriginal artist Dorothy Napangadi. Sabrina grew up in Yuendumu and went to the local school. She now alternates between living in Yuendumu and Alice Springs. She has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre in Yuendumu, since 2005. She paints her father’s Jukurrpa or Dreaming, stories passed down to her by her father and her father’s father before her for millennia. These stories relate to her traditional land, Pirlinyarnu (Mt Farewell), its features and the plants and animals that inhabit it. Sabrina has exhibited in Australia and in France.

Cheerful and good spirited, Jeannie has close family connections to some of Australia's top names in art. Her mother is well known Utopian artist Dolly Mills and her uncle is the late Greeny Purvis, a successful entrant in the 21st NATSIAA. Her great aunt is the late Emily Kame Kngwarreye, dubbed by art experts as one of the world's best modern and abstract artists. It is through these influences that Jeannie began to paint, bringing her own style and dynamic to the world of Aboriginal Art.

Caroline Numina is one of senior sisters of six well known desert artists: the Numina Sisters. She has two brothers, her dear father has passed and her widow mum still paints. Like her sisters and mother she comes from a long line of desert painters of the contemporary Aboriginal art and dot-dot central desert movement. She started painting in the early 80s. As with her other sisters she was taught by her well renowned painter aunties: Gloria and Kathleen Petyerre, who are well established artists in Alice Springs

Many women from the Peytre, Mambitji and Numina family name hold custody of the story and knowledge keepers of painting series-themes such as Bush Medicine Leaves, Bush Tucker, Seeded, Soakage, Women's Ceremony etc.

Daughter of highly regarded elder and women's business story keeper Barbara Price Mtjimbana, Jacinta went to primary school at Stirling Station near Tennant Creek. Like her sisters and mother, she comes from a long line of desert painters of the contemporary Aboriginal art and dot-dot central desert movement from well renowned painter aunties, Gloria and Kathleen Petyerre, who are well established artists in Alice Springs.

Jacinta lives in Darwin where her works are collected by universities, art dealers, and art lovers from around the world. She regularly travels back to home lands to visit family.

Selina was born in 1978 and attended school at Kormilda College in Darwin. Her Mother is Barbara Price Mbitjana from Tenant Creek who is also an artist. Selina’s Father, now passed, was from Utopia. The story of the Medicine leaves that Selina paints is her Father’s story.

Selina has been painting for galleries across the country for over seven years. Her works have been purchased by art lovers and collectors and she has had works as a collaborative Exhibition in Cairns in 2010. Selina paints many stories from her family and is a strong teacher to the next generation including, her nieces.

Sharon Numina is an Anmatyerre artist and one of six sisters and three brothers. Her mother is artist Barbara Pananka Mbitjana. She went to primary school at Stirling Station, a cattle station near Tennant Creek where she began painting at a young age, taking guidance from her world renowned aunties Gloria and Kathleen Petyarre. She later moved to Darwin with her family and continued her studies at Charles Darwin University where she obtained a degree in fine arts.

Sharon lives in Darwin with her four sisters, Jacinta, Lanita, Louise and Caroline Numina, who are also well respected artists from Utopia.

“I learnt to paint by watching my mother, my sisters and my grandmother paint.” Athena Nangala Granites was born in 1994 in Alice Springs Hospital, the closest hospital to Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community 290 km from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. She has lived most of her life in Yuendumu, attending the local school and graduating from Senior Girls Upper School in 2009. Since leaving school she has gained work experience working in the office at Mt Theo, a program that provides comprehensive training in youth development and leadership. She has also married Sebastian Jupurrurla Wilson and they have one son, “little Henry Peterson Wilson”. Athena enjoys being Mum to little Henry. Although young, Athena comes from a long line of artists. She is the daughter of Geraldine Napangardi Granites and the grand-daughter of Alma Nungarrayi Granites, well-known artists who paint with Warlukurlangu Artists. She is also the great grand-daughter of Paddy Japaljarri Sims (Deceased) one of the founding artists of Warlukurlangu Artists. Athena has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu, since 2010. She paints Jukurrpa from her father’s side (Ngapa Jukurrpa – Water Dreaming) and her mother’s side (Ngalyipi Jukurrpa – Snake Vine Dreaming and Yanjirlpirri Jukurrpa – Seven Sisters Dreaming), stories which relate directly to her land, its features and the plants and animals that inhabit it. Athena uses an unrestricted palette to develop a modern interpretation of her traditional culture. When Athena is not painting and when the rain comes and it is cooler she likes to go hunting with her family for Honey Ants, Bush Banana, Goanna and Kangaroo.

Jacinda Hayes is a young artist from Alice Springs. She re-located to Darwin in 2019 for better schooling opportunities for her 6 children.

Jacinda’s great aunt is the famous artist Gloria Petyarre and her grandmother is the well-known artist Margaret Scobie. Margaret and Gloria are first cousins.

Jacinda tells of how Gloria passed on the ‘Bush Medicine Leaves’ Dreaming toher Grandmother Margaret as health challenges arose. Gloria wanted to ensure the Dreaming was continued.

Margaret in turn passed this Dreaming on to Jacinda as she is her eldest grand-daughter.

Jacinda spent a lot of time with her grandmother learning how to use colour and the brush, “this keeps the culture strong and keeps the connection”. Jacinda will pass this Dreaming down to her children in the hope that they will pass it to theirs and so on.

Lucky has featured in many group exhibitions since beginning her artistic career in 1977. The oldest daughter of fellow Utopian artist Mary Morton Kemarre, Lucky participated in batik workshops that were held in Utopia from 1977 to 1987 with her mother and younger siblings. Her work is represented in the Holmes á Court Collection which was exhibited extensively within Australia and abroad.

Like most other batik artists living in Utopia, Lucky made the transition to painting in the summer of 1988-9 as part of CAAMA's 'The First works on Canvas, a Summer Project'. With a more adaptable and effortless medium, Lucky continued to paint with acrylics and has traveled both to Sydney and Melbourne for exhibitions featuring her work. Lucky has also worked briefly with wood sculpture.

When Lucky was growing up she attended a bush school near Hatcher's Creek which is North East of Utopia and spent her childhood years growing up around Kurrajong Camp in Utopia and MacDonnell Downs Station. For many years, Lucky has attended Bachelor College in Alice Springs which has seen her travel to Darwin and Tenant Creek for further education.

Lucky paints an extraordinary variety of stories which she says comes from two Countries. These countries are Ngkwarlerlaneme and Arnkawenyerr of which she belongs to. Lucky can also paint the ceremonial body paint designs belonging to these countries and also her mother's country Antarrengeny.

Sharon Turner paints stories from both her mother’s and father’s country. Sharon was taught to paint by her mother and aunties, the Numina sisters. Her Grandmother, Barbara Price Mbitjana also taught Sharon how to paint stories from her country near Ti Tree in the Northern Territory. Sharon’s mother, Caroline Numina Napananka, continues to teach Sharon stories and painting. Sharon attends school in Darwin and travels to her desert country on a regular basis to learn more stories from her elders, which she will pass on to her family in the future.