Dora Mungkirna Napaltjarri

Dora’s mother’s country is Tjintu and her father’s country is Walangarra. Her father brought the family in from the Tanami Desert to Gordon Downs where he worked carting wood. Dora met her husband and recalls the move to Laws Creek where she would milk the nanny goats. They had only one child, Margaret, and as a family unit they travelled around accompanied by camels and donkeys. Ceremonial business required them to travel to stations such as Sturt Creek, Gordon Downs and Billiluna. The family moved to the mission at Lajamanu for a short period where Dora worked in the kitchen before heading to Balgo. Here she became involved with the church and started painting with the art coordinator Andrew Hughes. Dora’s paintings oscillate with colour and energy depicting the important bush foods and dreaming stories of her country. A senior law woman, Dora still hunts and collects bush foods regularly. A highlight in her career was executing a major sand painting in Perth recreating a Tjurrkupa story out of yellow, red and white sand and feathers.