Wilkinkarraby Mitjili Napanangka GIbson

Mitjili Napanangka Gibson  was born c1930  and passed away in 2010. She was born at Winparrku, not far from Kiwirkurra in the Western Desert around 1932. Her ancestral country is Wilkinkarra (Lake Mackay), which is located in the Gibson Desert, on the Western Australian and Northern Territory border. Mitjili Napanangka Gibson's language group was Pintupi, and also spoke fluent Warlpiri.

When Miitjili was a young girl, her aunties would tell her stories about her country and the Jukurrpa or Dreaming stories associated with Mina Mina, a sacred site for Napanangka's and Napangardi's. Mitjili was a traditional woman, but in her later years in Alice Springs, but would always looked forward to bush trips with family, to hunt for goanna, echidna and ochre bush delicacies.

Mitjili Napanangka GIbson (prior to her move to Alice Springs) lived at Nyirripi for many years, which is where she began painting the mythological Tingari Cycle. After observing her Talented niece, Dorothy Napangardi ( passed away 2013) inspired her to paint professionally. Both women shared many Dreaming stories in particular the Mina Mina Jukurrpa.

Miitjili painted mythological narrative relating to her country and often would paint narrative through multiple layers in the one painting. She used an aerial perspective and highlighted important sites with a painterly but also spontaneous technique.  She had a sharp sense of humor and was very proud to interpret her traditional stories of law and culture especially those relating to the subject of love magic.

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