Eubena Nampitjin

Eubena Yupinya Nampitjin was born at Tjinjadpa, west of Jupiter Well, Great Sandy Desert, on the 1st July 1922. Eubena commenced painting in 1986 with her second husband Wimmitji Tjapangarti. They developed a unique style of complex dotting in a warm palette of reds, oranges and yellows. Wimmitji stopped painting in 1993, but Eubena has gone on to become one of the major practising artists of the Balgo community.

Eubena Nampitjin is one of the most esteemed law women in the community, being consulted and deferred to on all questions of law. Moogaga, Eubenas mother , taught her Maparn (healer/witchdoctor) skills before she passed away, when Eubena was a young girl. The family travelled and hunted, performing ceremonies and law for the upkeep of their community and their own spiritural perservation. Nomadic life was harsh and most of her extended family passed away or moved to other parts of the country.

Eubena now lives in Balgo and paints for the community's artist company, Warlayirti Artists, such as pictures as Walamalu Taltu, a story about twin soakages on the Canning Stock Route.

This artist biography and photograph is copyright protected. Please view our copyright policy if you would like to reproduce this material.

Collections:

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
Holmes a Court Collection, Perth
Levi-Kaplan Collection, Seattle, USA
The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, USA
Artbank, Sydney
Western Mining Corporation Collection
Williams Collection
Thomas Vroom Collection, Amsterdam
Ken Thompson and Pierre Marecaux Collection

Exhibitions:

1986, 1997, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth
1988, 1990, 1992, 2000, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
1989, 1991, 1995, 2000, Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney
1989 "Mythscapes" - National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
1990, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney
1990, Third Eye Centre, Scotland
1990, Chapman Gallery, Canberra
1991, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney (and travelling)
1992, Australian National Gallery, Canberra
1992, Palais des Expositions, Lyon, France
1993, "Australian Aboriginal Art" Salon de Sud-Est, City of Lyon, in conjunction with Dettinger Mayer Gallery; toured Gallerie Nurnaga, Neuchatel, France; Pujol Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
1993, 1994, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
1994, Channing Gallery, Santa Fe, USA
1995, Sprengel Museum, Hannover, Germany
1996, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, UK
1997, McClelland Gallery, Langwarrin
1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
1997, Museum of Modern Arts, Oxford, UK
1997, 2000, 2002, Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs
1998, 2001, 2002, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
1998, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
1999, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, USA
1999, 2001, 2002, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs
1999, IHK, Wurzburg, Germany
2000, Tineriba Gallery, Adelaide
2000, Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, Virginia, USA
2000, Exhibition Buildingm Melbourne
2001, Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide
2002, Aboriginal Fine Art, Hobart

Awards:

1998, Finalist in 15th Telstra NATSIAA
2001, Finalist in 18th Telstra NATSIAA

Source: Kreczmanski, Janusz B & Birnberg, Margo (eds.): Aboriginal Artists: Dictionary of Biographies: Central Desert, Western Desert & Kimberley Region (JB Publishing Australia, Marleston, 2004)

Artist: Eubena Nampitjin

Skin Name: Yupinya

Language: Wangkajunga/Kukatja/Purtitjarra/Mantjiltjarra

Region: Balgo

Vendor: Central Art

Dreaming: Kinyu (Spirit Dogs), Tjukurra (rock holes), Tjumu (soaks) along the Canning Stock Route, Watikutjarra (two men dreaming), Malu (kangaroo dreaming), Kantilli (bush raisins), Purra (Bush Tomato), Tingari Tjukurrpa (Dreamtime Ancestral journey's), Women's Law Ceremonies, Goanna, Mouse, Moon, Dingo dreaming, Karnaputta, Kunarwaritji

» Aboriginal Art Store
» View Art by Artist
» Receive Artwork Alerts
» Featured Artists
» Aboriginal Artists