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Naata Nungurrayi

DOB: c. 1932
BORN: Kumilnga, Pollock Hills, WA
LANGUAGE GROUP: Pintupi
COMMUNITY: Kintore, NT

Naata Nungurrayi is a respected senior elder and is recognised as a highly important artist in the Kintore women’s artist movement. Naata was born c.1932 at the rockhole site of Kumil, west of the Pollock Hills in Western Australia. She lived in Walungurru (Kintore) with her late sister Nancy Nungurrayi. Naata is from the Pintupi Language group.

Naata and her family came to Papunya from the desert bush in April 1962, and were brought into a camp by Jeremy Long, who was operating patrols out of Darwin. When Walungurru (Kintore) was established as the main Pintupi settlement in early 1982, Naata moved there with Pintupi people from her camp and from the west camp at Papunya. Naata started painting in late 1994 at Kintore along with other women artists from the Haasts Bluff community, and began commissioned paintings for Papunya Tula artists in 1996.

Naata is a full blood sister to the late Nancy Nungurrayi Ross, sister to George (Hairbrush) Tjungurrayi, and mother to Kenny Williams Tjampitjinpa; all highly respected artists in their own right.

The Dreamings that Naata paints depict sacred women’s sites and women’s ceremonies in the Kintore and Kiwirrkura region. As an elder and through her lineage, Naata is one of the few women to have permission to paint certain features of these Dreamings. She has developed a distinctive style, quite different to the mens’ style of the region.

Her paintings are sought by most major Australian galleries and collectors worldwide. Naata’s artworks have been exhibited in the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, and 25th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (“NATSIAA”), a prestigious Award established in 1984 to recognize the important contribution made by Indigenous artists, and is now one of the premier national events in the Australian Indigenous art calendar. In 2002 (the 19th NATSIAA) Naata Nungurrayi was awarded “Highly Commended”.

In 2003 Naata Nungurrayi was honoured with having one of her paintings chosen to appear on an Australia Post International stamp, and was named among the Top 50 of Australia’s Most Collectable Artists by Australian Art Collector in 2004.

Collections

  • National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
  • Australian National University, Canberra
  • The Holmes a Court Collection
  • Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
  • National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
  • Museums & Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, Darwin
  • Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberrra
  • Artbank, Sydney
  • Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs
  • Griffith University Art Collection, Brisbane
  • Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
  • Helen Read Collection
  • Harland Collection
  • Hank Ebes Collection, Melbourne
  • The Luczo Family Collection, USA
  • University of Technolgoy Sydney Art Collection, Sydney
  • Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, MA, USA
  • Steve Martin & Anne Springfield Collections, USA
  • Kluge-Ruhe Collection of the University of Virginia, USA
  • University of the Sunshine Coast Collection, Sippy Downs, QLD
  • Luciano Benetton Collection, Venice
  • Fondation Burkhardt-Felder Arts et Culture, Moitiers, Switzerland

Awards and Recognition

2008 Ian Mclean: Publication: Naata Nungurrayi; Muni (Rita) Simpson; Spinifex Artists Group; Patrick Tjungurrayi. Perth, W.A.: Art Gallery of Western Australia
2008 Western Australian Art Award, Perth – Finalist
2008 25th NATSIAA, Darwin – Finalist
2007 TogArt Contemporary Art Award, Darwin Convention Centre, Darwin – Finalist
2007 24th NATSIAA, Darwin – Finalist
2006 23rd NATSIAA, Darwin – Finalist
2005 22nd NATSIAA, Darwin – Finalist
2004 Top 50 Collectable Artists, Australian Art Collector Magazine
2003 Australia Post International Stamp
2003 20th NATSIAA, Darwin – Finalist
2002 19th NATSIAA, Darwin – Finalist and Highly Commended
2001 18tth NATSIAA, Darwin – Finalist
2000 17th NATSIAA, Darwin – Finalist

History

Selected Group Exhibitions:

2021 50 Years of Papunya Tula Artists, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
2021 Country in Mind, University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD
2021 Papunya Tula: 50 years 1971-2021, S.H. Erwin Gallery, Sydney
2020 Reflections on Emily and Papunya, High Line Nine Galleries, New York
2020 Pintupi Masters – Enduring Dreamings, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
2020 Papunya, D’Lan Contemporary, Melbourne
2019 Beyond Time, Australian Aboriginal Art, Booker Lowe Gallery, Houston, TX, USA
2019 Desert Painters of Australia, Larry Gagosian Gallery, New York, USA – from the Steve Martin & Anne Springfield Collections and Kluge-Ruhe Collection of the University of Virginia, USA
2019 10 panels from the Iconography series, Naata Nungurrayi, Kambri Cultural Centre, Drill Hall Gallery, Australian National University, Canberra
2019 International Women’s Day, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
2019 Defining Tradition: the first wave & its disciples, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
2019 Spring Collection: Exhibition to celebrate our beautiful Spring Collection, Brenda Colahan Fine Art, Sydney
2019 Significant, D’Lan Contemporary, Melbourne
2018 20/20 Vision: 20 Years 20 Women, Brenda Colahan Fine Art, Sydney
2018 Into Abstraction: Exploring the Diversity of Abstraction and its Affiliations from the 1960’s until the Present, Brenda Colahan Fine Art, Sydney
2018 Significant, D’Lan Contemporary, Melbourne
2017 Gems of the Stockroom, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
2016 Important Australian Indigenous Art , D’Lan Contemporary, Melbourne
2012 Unique Perspectives: Papunya Tula Artists and the Alice Springs Community, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs
2012 unDISCLOSED, 2nd National Indigenous Art Triennial, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
2012 Classic Works from Papunya Tula Artists, Utopia Art, Sydney
2010 Desert Country, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
2011 Papunya Tula Women’s Art, Maitland Regional Gallery, Maitland, NSW
2011 Freemantle Arts Centre Print Award, Freemantle, WA
2011 40 Years of Papunya Tula Art, Utopia Art, Sydney
2010 Wilkinkarralakutu – Journeys to Lake Mackay, Cross Cultural Art Exchange, Darwin
2010 The Desert Mob Art Show, Araluen Centre, Alice Springs
2010 Significant Women Artists from the Western Desert, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2010 Papunya Tula Artists Now, Utopia Art, Sydney
2010 Ngurra Kutju Ngurrara – Belonging to One Country, Red Dot Gallery, Singapore
2010 Desert Country, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
2010 Darwin International Art Fair, Darwin Convention Centre, Darwin
2010 Aboriginal Art 2010, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2009 Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth
2009 Tjukurrpa Palulukutu, Kutjupawana Palyantjanya Sames Stories, A New Way, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs
2009 Pintupi 2009, Tony Bond Aboriginal Art Dealer, Adelaide
2009 Papunya Tula Artists, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
2009 Papunya 2009, Senior Pintupi Artists, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
2009 Ngnampatju Kanpatja Winki, Nganampatju Yara Winki All Our Paintings, All Our Stories, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs
2009 Nganana Tjungurrayi Tjukurrpa Nintintjkitja: We are Sharing our Dreaming, East Galleries, New York, USA
2009 Desert Mob 2009, Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs
2009 Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Convention Centre, Darwin
2009 20 Years of Papunya Tula Artists, Utopia Art, Sydney
2008 The Other Thing – A Survey Show, Charles Darwin University Art Collection, Darwin
2008 Pintupi Art 2008, Tony Bond Aboriginal Art Dealer, Adelaide
2008 Papunya Tula Artists 2008, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
2008 Ngurra Yurru Kulintjaku Always Remembering Country, Cross Cultural Art Exchange (CCAE) at Harriet Place, Darwin
2008 New Paintings from the Papunya Tula Artists, Chapman Gallery, Canberra
2008 Marrangku Yara Polyantjaku Ngurrangka Making Strong Paintings at Home, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs
2008 Desert Prophets, Indigenart, Perth
2008 Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin
2008 Aboriginal Art 2008, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2008 25th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Darwin
2007 TogArt Contemporary Art Award, Parliament House, Darwin
2007 Pintupi Mixed Exhibition, Papunya
Tula Artists, Alice Springs
2007 Pintupi Art 2007, Tony Bond Aboriginal Art Dealer, Adelaide
2007 Papunya Tula Artists – Recent Paintings 2007, Cross Cultural Art Exchange (CCAE) at Harriet Place, Darwin
2007 24th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Darwin
2006 Yawulyurru kapalilu palyara nintilpayu, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs
2006 PTA, Utopia Art, Sydney
2006 Pintupi, Hamiltons Gallery, London, UK
2006 Pintupi Dreamtime, Red Dot Gallery, Singapore
2006 Pintupi Art 2006, Tony Bond Aboriginal Art Dealer, Adelaide
2006 Papunya Tula Artists 2006, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
2006 Papunya Tula Artists – Recent Paintings 2006, Cross Cultural Art Exchange (CCAE) at Harriet Place, Darwin
2006 Aboriginal Art 2006, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2006 A Particular Collection, Utopia Art, Sydney
2006 23rd Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Darwin
2005 The Desert Mob Art Show, Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs
2005 Strong and Stately, Red Dot Gallery, Singapore
2005 Pintupi Show, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs
2005 Pintupi Art 2005, Tony Bond Aboriginal Art Dealer, Adelaide
2005 Papunya Tula Artists, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
2005 Papunya Tula Artists New Work for a New Space, Utopia Art, Sydney
2005 New Works from the Western Desert, Indigenart, Perth
2005 New Ideas, Utopia Art, Sydney
2005 Aboriginal Art 2005, Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne
2005 22nd Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Darwin
2004 Pintupi Artists, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs
2004 Pintupi Art 2004, Tony Bond Aboriginal Art Dealer, Adelaide
2004 Papunya Tula Artists 2004, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
2004 Melbourne Art Fair, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
2004 Ma Yungu Pass it on, Framed Gallery, Darwin
2004 Depth of Field Anamorphosis: Artists explore Absolute Matte, a new paint from Chroma Australia, Utopia Art, Sydney
2004 All About Papunya, Chapman Gallery, Canberra
2004 Aboriginal Art 2004, Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne
2003 Recent Paintings by the Women Artists of Kintore and Kiwikurra, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
2003 Pintupi Artists, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs
2003 Pintupi Art from the Western Desert, Indigenart, Perth
2003 Pintupi Art 2003, Tony Bond Aboriginal Art Dealer, Adelaide
2003 Papunya Tula Selected Paintings, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne
2003 Masterpieces from the Western Desert, Gavin Graham Gallery, London, UK
2003 Aboriginal Art 2003, Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne
2003 A Way Through, The Sue and Ian Bernadt Collection, Aboriginal Paintings by Women Artists, Central TAFE Art Gallery, Northbridge, Perth
2002 Saluting Papunya, Chapman Gallery, Canberra
2002 Pintupi Mens and Womens Stories, Indigenart, Perth
2002 Pintupi Artists, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs
2002 Paintings from our Country, Tony Bond, Adelaide
2002 Next Generation – Aboriginal Art 2002, Art House Gallery, Sydney
2002 Art Born of the Western Desert, Framed Gallery, Darwin
2002 19th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Darwin
2001 Spirituality and Australian Aboriginal Art, Comunidad the Madrid Touring Exhibition, Spain
2001 Pintupi Exhibition, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs
2001 Papunya Tula 30th Anniversary Exhibition, Canberra
2001 Palm Beach Art Fair, Palm Beach, Florida, USA
2001 Museum, Utopia Art, Sydney
2001 Kintore and Kiwikurra, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi
2001 Art of the Pintupi, Tony Bond Art Dealer, Adelaide
2001 Art House Gallery, Sydney
2001 Aboriginal Art 2001, Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne
2001 18th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Darwin
2000 Pintupi Women, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs
2000 Papunya Tula – Genesis and Genius, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
2000 Melbourne Art Fair, Melbourne
2000 Lines, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane
2000 Encore, Utopia Art, Sydney
2000 Dream Space, Original and Authentic Aboriginal Art, Melbourne
2000 Aboriginal Art 2000, Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne
2000 17th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Darwin
1999 Utopia Art, Sydney
1999 Twenty-Five Years and Beyond, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, Adelaide
1999 New Horizons, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
1999 Desert Mob Art Show, Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs
1997 The Desert Mob Art Show, Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs
1995 Minyma Tjukurrpa

About Harvey Galleries

Harvey Galleries was founded by the Harvey family in 1994 with an eye to establish a dynamic and inclusive contemporary art space on the North Shore of Sydney. For almost three decades we have expanded our reach to over three gallery locations and an ever expanding stable of the best artists Australia has to offer.

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Harvey Galleries acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands upon which our galleries stand. The Guringai people (Seaforth), the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation (Sydney), and the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation (Melbourne).

We pay our respect to Elders past and present.

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