Born c.1940

Tjawina Porter Nampitjinpa is a senior Ngaatjatjarra artist from the Western Desert, born at Wiirulywiirulyu, south-west of Tjukurla. Raised living a traditional life on Country around Tjukurla, Pangkupirri and the Rawlinson Ranges, she maintains a deep connection to the ancestral landscapes and cultural knowledge of her people.

A half-sister to fellow artists Nyurapayia Nampitjinpa and Esther Giles Nampitjinpa, Tjawina is renowned for both her traditional basket weaving and her accomplished painting practice. After periods living in Papunya, Yai Yai and Docker River, she returned to Tjukurla, where she helped establish the growing community alongside her family.

Her paintings depict the Dreaming stories and sacred sites inherited through her mother and father, including Yumari, Pangkupirri, Tjukurla and Tjarlirli. These places are central to ceremony, water sources and traditional bush foods, and her work expresses the enduring spiritual connection between people, Country and Tjukurrpa (Dreaming).

Recognised for her finely balanced compositions and strong cultural authenticity, Tjawina Porter Nampitjinpa’s paintings have been widely exhibited and are represented in important public and private collections throughout Australia and overseas.