Eileen Napaltjarri
Eileen Napaltjarri Anyama was born in 1956 at Haasts Bluff. Her father was Charlie Tararu Tjungurrayi, who was a founding artist of the early Desert Art movement at Papunya. Charlie Tararu had a strong reputation for his innovative art works, as did Eileen’s mother, Tatali Nangala, who was a prolific painter. Eileen is the niece of Narputta Nangala and cousin of Daisy Napaltjarri, both significant artists of Ikuntji Artists. Eileen was married to senior Kintore artist Kenny Williams Tjampitjinpa.
Eileen paints stories from her father’s ancestral country at Tjitjurrulnga (also known as Titjurrulpa rockhole), which is located west of Kintore.
Eileen originally moved from Haasts Bluff to Kintore in the early 1980s, travelling there with her family when the new outstation was first established. EileenNapaltjarri spent time watching her parents as they worked on their paintings. Then after her mother died in 1999, Eileen set about painting those stories that had been passed down to her. Writer Nicolas Rothwell described her work as “rhythmically abstract paintings”, in a 2006 Papunya Tula exhibition in Alice Springs, that “have become the newest sign of the inventiveness of Kintore women.” She now lives by herself in Kintore where she paints occasionally. From time to time she visits her family in Haasts Buff where she paints at Ikuntji Artists.
Eileen has consolidated her reputation as one of the most important second generation Aboriginal artists of the Western Desert movement. Eileen Napaltjarri is represented in major collections including in Australian National Gallery, Art Gallery of NSW and Artbank Collection. Japingka Gallery curated a solo exhibition of EileenNapaltjarri’s paintings in 2008. Napaltjarri won the “emerging artist” category of the Redlands Westpac Art Prize in 2005. In 2006, journalist and writer Nicolas Rothwell named her as the successor to Papunya Tula’s most significant founding women: Makinti Napanangka, Wintjiya Napaltjarri and Tjunkiya Napaltjarri. Australian Art Collector magazine, in its annual survey of Australian art, included Napaltjarri in its 50 Most Collectable Artists for 2008
[Passed -/6/2024]
Languages
Luritja, Pintupi
Community
Kintore
Past Exhibitions
Solo
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2004 'Eileen Napaltjarri - Lines', Utopia Art Sydney, Sydney.
Group
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2024 National Indigenous Art Fair, Sydney NSW
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2022 Desert Mob, Alice Springs.
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2021 'Dessin du territoire – Territoire du dessin / Land drawing – Land of drawing', Australian Embassy in Paris, France., 6 October 2021 to 7 January
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2021 'Land Drawing – Drawing of the Land', Les Jardins Suspendus, Le Havre, France., 3 July - 3 September
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2019 2019 AIATSIS Indigenous Art Market, Canberra.
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2019 Tarnanthi Art Fair 2019, Adelaide.
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2019 ' Our Country – True Story', Vincent Lingiari Art Award Exhibition, Tangentyere Artists, Alice Springs.
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2019 Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair 2019, Darwin., 9-11 August 2019
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2019 National Indigenous Art Fair, Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks, Sydney.
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2018 TALI - MY COUNTRY | ABORIGINAL ART EXHIBITION, Michell Fine Art, Brisbane., 14th November – 22nd December
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2017 Desert Mob Marketplace 2017, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs.
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2017 'Ngurra Kutju - Tjukurrpa Tjuta, One Country - Many Stories', Exhibition at Colin Biggers & Paisley, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane.
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2016 10th Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin Convention Centre, Darwin.
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2016 WOMADELAIDE, Adelaide.
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2015 'Summer Stock', The Port Hedland Courthouse Gallery, Port Hedland.
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2015 Tarnanthi Festival Art Fair, Tandanya Institute, Adelaide.
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2015 'Ancestral Presence - recent works by Ikuntji Artists', June Marriott Gallery, Central Craft, Araluen Cultural Precinct, Alice Springs.
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2015 'Spirit Country', Outback Aboriginal Art, Melbourne.
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2015 'Power of Place', FORM, State Theatre, Perth.
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2014 Around the Campfire - Fundraiser Concert, Alice Springs.
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2014 Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin Convention Centre, Darwin.
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2014 SOAF Seoul Open Art Fair, Seoul, Korea.
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2014 The Bold and the Beautiful, Talapi Gallery, Alice Springs.
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2013 Desert Minatures, Tali Gallery, Sydney.
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2006 Big Paintings from Papunya Tula Artists, Utopia Art Sydney, Sydney.
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2006 'Papunya Tula Artists', Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne.
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2005 'Papunya Tula Artists - across the board', Utopia Arts Sydney, Sydney.
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2005 'Papunya Tula Artists' - Papunya Tula Artists.
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2005 Utopia Arts Sydney, Sydney.
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2005 'The Togart Contemporary Art Exhibitio'n, Parliament House, Darwin.
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2004 'Papunya Tula Artists - new work for a new space', Utopia Art Sydney.
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2004 Rising Stars Papunya, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne.
Collections
- Art Gallery Of New South Wales (AGNSW), Sydney.
- National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.
- Artbank