Norah Napaljarri Nelson

Norah Napaljarri Nelson was born at Haasts Bluff in central Australia on 26th October 1956.

Norah first painted in 1986, assisting her husband, but was creating works in her own right by 1987. As of 2004 she was living in Yuendumu and painted for the Indigenous Art centre Warlukurlangu Artists.

Norah's Nelson Napaljarri Dreaming stories she depicts in her work are Karntjarra (Two Women), Ngaru (bush plum), Ngarlkirdi (witchetty grub) and Pangkurlangu (Giant) dreamings . She has also painted a series of works based on the Yiwarra (milky way) with the permission of from senior custodian at Yuendumu, Paddy Sims. One of this series was chosen as the design for a mosaic at the new court complex for the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.

Norah began painting by assisting her husband the well-know artist Bronson (Frank) Jakamarra Nelson (passed away) , however in 1987 Norah emerged as an artist in her own right.

In 1991 Norah Napaljarri Nelson's acclaimed artwork, Milky Way Dreaming, was made into the mosaic that graces the main concourse of the Northern Territory's Courthouse. Norah's career, as an Aboriginal artist spans over 16years and began when she exhibited in a show devoted to Aboriginal women artists at the Esplanade Gallery in Darwin 1987. Since 1988, Norah has featured works in eleven exhibitions across cities in Australia and Madrid.

Norah principally painted for Warlukurlangu Artists, such stories as Yiwarra (Milky Way), Witchetty Grub, Ngaru (Bush Plum), and Karntjarra (Two Women). Sadly, Norah's career has slowed down due to her suffering an illness.

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Bibliography:

Johnson, Vivien (1994). Aboriginal Artists of the Western Desert: A Biographical Dictionary. Roseville East, NSW: Craftsman House. pp. 152–3.
Birnberg, Margo; Janusz Kreczmanski (2004). Aboriginal Artist Dictionary of Biographies: Australian Western, Central Desert and Kimberley Region. Marleston, South Australia: J.B. Publishing.
Kinship and skin names". People and culture. Central Land Council
De Brabander, Dallas (1994). "Sections". In David Horton. Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia. 2. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
Bardon, Geoffrey; James Bardon (2006). Papunya – A place made after the story: The beginnings of the Western Desert painting movement. University of Melbourne: Miegunyah Press.
Dussart, Francoise (2006). "Canvassing identities: reflecting on the acrylic art movement in an Australian Aboriginal settlement". Aboriginal History
Murphy, Howard (1999). Aboriginal Art. London: Phaidon.
Strocchi, Marina (2006). "Minyma Tjukurrpa: Kintore / Haasts Bluff Canvas Project: Dancing women to famous painters". Artlink 26 (4).
Johnson, Vivien (1994). "Introduction". Aboriginal Artists of the Western Desert: A Biographical Dictionary. Roseville East, NSW: Craftsman House. pp. 7–12.
# ^ Hutchings, Patrick (2002). "The Milky Way Dreaming: Norah Napaljarri Nelson's floor mosaic". Art Monthly 154 (October).

Collections:

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Holmes a Court Collection
Supreme Court, Darwin

Exhibitions:

1987 Esplanade Gallery, Darwin
1988 Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
1989 Galeria Alfredo Melgar, Madrid, Spain
1989 Paris, France and Madrid, Spain
1989, 1990 two-person exhibition, paintings by Frank and Norah Nelson, Dreamtime Gallery, Perth
1991 Women's Gallery, Melbourne
1991 Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, U.S.A.
1994 National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

Source: © Artist image taken by Arts Photographer Sabine Haider, Central Art 2009,

Artist: Norah Napaljarri Nelson

Skin Name: Napaljarri

Language: Warlpiri

Region: Yuendumu

Vendor: Central Art

Dreaming: Karntjarra (Two Women), Ngaru (bush plum), Ngarlkirdi (witchetty grub) and Pangkurlangu (Giant)

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