Artist Profile for Galya Pwerle < Back Galya Pwerle Galya Pwerle ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE top Anchor 1 PROFILE Galya Pwerle ARTIST CV Market Analysis MARKET ANALYSIS Disclaimer: At Cooee Art Leven, we strive to maintain accurate and respectful artist profiles. Despite our efforts, there may be occasional inaccuracies. We welcome any corrections or suggested amendments. Please contact us with your feedback .

Artist Profile for Peggy Patrick < Back Peggy Patrick Peggy Patrick ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE top Anchor 1 PROFILE Peggy Patrick ARTIST CV Market Analysis MARKET ANALYSIS Disclaimer: At Cooee Art Leven, we strive to maintain accurate and respectful artist profiles. Despite our efforts, there may be occasional inaccuracies. We welcome any corrections or suggested amendments. Please contact us with your feedback .

Artist Profile for Michelle Possum Nungurrayi < Back Michelle Possum Nungurrayi Michelle Possum Nungurrayi ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE top Anchor 1 PROFILE Michelle Possum Nungurrayi ARTIST CV Market Analysis MARKET ANALYSIS Disclaimer: At Cooee Art Leven, we strive to maintain accurate and respectful artist profiles. Despite our efforts, there may be occasional inaccuracies. We welcome any corrections or suggested amendments. Please contact us with your feedback .

Artist Profile for Albert Namatjira < Back Albert Namatjira Albert Namatjira 1902 - 1959 Region: Central Desert Community: Hermannsburg Language: Arrernte ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS Albert Namatjira holds the distinction of being the first Australian Indigenous artist to gain international recognition. His romantic depictions of the Continent’s desert have left an indelible mark on the nation’s art, becoming iconic representations of the outback. READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE ALBERT NAMATJIRA - ARANDA LANDSCAPE Sold AU$0.00 top Anchor 1 PROFILE Albert Namatjira 1902 - 1959 Region: Central Desert Community: Hermannsburg Language: Arrernte Albert Namatjira holds the distinction of being the first Australian Indigenous artist to gain international recognition. His romantic depictions of the Continent’s desert have left an indelible mark on the nation’s art, becoming iconic representations of the outback. Namatjira’s journey into the art world began after a 1934 exhibition by European artists, led by Rex Battarbee, in the Hermannsburg community. Intrigued by what he saw, Namatjira approached the mission superintendent for paint and paper, which were set aside until Battarbee’s return in 1936. Eager to learn, Namatjira joined Battarbee’s painting expedition as a camel man, quickly displaying a natural talent for watercolour painting. Battarbee, impressed by Namatjira’s rapid mastery of colour, remarked, "I felt he had done so well that he had no more to learn from me about colour" (Morphy, 1998: 268). Namatjira’s ability to capture the vibrant hues of the desert landscape, the gorges, and the valleys of his homeland interwoven with his Dreaming, brought him swift success. His first exhibition in Melbourne in 1938 saw all 41 of his watercolours sell within days. Initially signing his works as 'Albert,' he began adding his father’s tribal name after this exhibition, further cementing his identity as an artist. His subsequent exhibition in Adelaide was equally successful, with 20 paintings sold within the first half-hour, and the Art Gallery of South Australia acquiring a major work—his first to enter a public gallery in Australia. By this time, Namatjira had become one of Australia’s most celebrated artists. As Alison French, curator of his 2002 National Gallery of Australia retrospective, noted, in 1951, a letter addressed simply to "Albert Namatjira, Famous Aboriginal Artist, Australia" reached him in Alice Springs, having been sent from India by an autograph seeker. Namatjira painted predominantly during the winter months, focusing almost exclusively on landscapes. However, he occasionally included groups of figures in his work. During World War II, he began selling his paintings directly to collectors, quickly amassing so many orders that an Advisory Council was established to oversee the quality and pricing of his work. Despite being advised to limit himself to 50 paintings per year, his next exhibition in Melbourne saw works selling for up to 35 guineas each. In 1945, a successful exhibition earned him 1,000 guineas, allowing him to build a home near Hermannsburg. He began taking other Aranda artists, including his sons Enos and Oscar, and the Pareroultja brothers, on his painting expeditions, leading to the emergence of the Hermannsburg School. Namatjira’s success was not without its complications. While his paintings were admired for their aesthetic appeal, they were also seen as evidence that the First Nations people could be "civilized," a notion rooted in the era’s policy of cultural assimilation. His ability to paint in a European style was perceived as proof that Aboriginals could merge into white society, a perspective that overshadowed his artistic achievements. Namatjira was granted Australian citizenship, a status that awkwardly symbolized his acceptance of European traditions. Ironically, he became the first Indigenous person listed in “Who’s Who in Australia”. In later years, Namatjira’s work was critiqued as a symbol of subordination, especially after the 1970s cultural revolution led by the First Nations artists from Papunya, who demonstrated that “Aboriginal culture could engage with the modern world without losing its own artistic traditions” (Beier, 1986: 34). However, a reassessment of Namatjira’s work has since recognized it as a unique expression of his traditional connection to the land, offering an Indigenous perspective on the Central Australian landscape, albeit through a European medium. Namatjira’s style is distinctly his own. He often painted the desert from a slightly elevated viewpoint, capturing the changing colours of the landscape from the soft tones of summer to the rich hues of early morning and late evening. His compositions, which lacked a central focal point, achieved balance through a visual emphasis on the edges, avoiding a hierarchy of forms. Despite his artistic achievements, Namatjira’s life ended in tragedy. In 1959, he passed away after being jailed for bringing alcohol into his community—a cruel irony, given that his citizenship allowed him to buy alcohol but not to share it with others. Namatjira’s legacy, often framed as “a tragic figure trapped between two worlds and two art traditions” (Bardon, 1989: 18), endures through his paintings of the Western MacDonnell Ranges, Mount Sonder, and the surrounding desert. His work has redefined how we see the Australian outback, transforming it from a barren wasteland into a place of profound beauty and cultural significance. ARTIST CV Selected Collections: Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide. Christensen Collection, held Museum of Victoria, Melbourne. Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide. Hermannsburg Art Gallery; Museum of Victoria, Melbourne. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. National Museum of Australia, Canberra. Parliament House Art Collection, Canberra. Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane. South Australian Museum, Adelaide. Selected Solo Exhibition: 2003 - Seeing the Centre: The art of Albert Namitjira, Ian Potter Centre:NGV Australia, Melbourne, Victoria. 1952 - Rex Battarbee's house, in Alice Springs. 1950 - Anthony Hordern Gallery of Fine Art, Sydney. 1948 - Atheneum Gallery, Melbourne. 1947 - Griffith House, Alice Springs; 1947, first solo exhibition in Brisbane. 1946 - Royal South Australian Society of Arts, Adelaide. 1945 - first solo exhibition in Sydney. 1944 - Mural Hall, Myer Emporium, Melbourne. 1939 - Royal Art Society's Gallery, Adelaide. Selected Group Exhibitions: 2016 - Cooee Art at Australian Galleries, featuring Albert Namatjira, Alma Webou, Bill Whisky Tjapaltjarri, Daniel Walbidi, Djirrirra Wunungmurra, Dorothy Napangardi, Elizabeth Nyumi, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Emily Kngwarreye, Freddie Timms, George Hairbrush Tjungurrayi, Gloria Petyarre, Jan Billycan, John Mawurndjul , Johnny Warangkula, Kathleen Petyarre, Makinti Napanangka, Milliga Napaltjarri, Minnie Pwerle, Naata Nungurrayi, Nyurapayia Nampitjinpa (Mrs Bennett), Owen Yalandja, Prince of Wales , Queenie Nakarra McKenzie , Rover Thomas, Sally Gabori , Suzie Bootja Bootja, Timothy Cook , Tjapartji Bates, Tommy Watson, Trevor Nickolls , Yirawala, at Australian Galleries, Sydney. 2015 - Indigenous Art: Moving Backwards into the Future, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. 2014 - The hills behond Hermannsburg, from the Gallery's Indigenous Collection, featuring the work of Arnulf Ebatarinja, Conley Ebatarinja, Benjamin Landara, Tristam Malbunka, Albert Namatjira, Keith Namatjira, Lenie Namatjira, Maurice Namatjira, Oscar Namatjira, Claude Pannka, Gloria Pannka, Nelson Pannka, Ivy Pareroultja, Otto Pareroultja, Billy Benn Perrurle, Norman Ratara, Vanessa Splinter, Roland Uburtja, Alison Walbungara, Richard Moketarinja at the AGNSW, Sydney. 2013 - Australia, Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK. 1995 - Namatjira Ilakakeye, kinship, creativity and the continuing traditions of the Hermannsburg artists, Tandanya, Adelaide. 1994 - Power of the Land, Masterpieces of Aboriginal Art, National Gallery of Victoria; Yiribana, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. 1992 -1993 - The Heritage of Namatjira, touring exhibition, through Flinders University Art Museum. 1991 - The Heritage of Namatjira at Flinders, Flinders University Art Museum, Bedford Park, South Australia. 1989 - A Myriad of Dreaming: Twentieth Century Aboriginal Art, Westpac Gallery, Melbourne; Design Warehouse Sydney [through Lauraine Diggins Fine Art]; Aboriginal Art: The Continuing Tradition, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. 1988 - The Inspired Dream, Life as art in Aboriginal Australia, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory and touring internationally. 1974 - 1976 - Art of Aboriginal Australia, touring Canada, Rothmans of Pall Mall Canada Ltd. 1957 - Canadian Trade Fair, Vancouver, Canada. 1952 - Exhibition by the Aranda Group: seven aboriginal watercolour artists, Anthony Horderns' Fine Art Gallery, Sydney. Market Analysis MARKET ANALYSIS Recent auction results for Albert Namatjira's works highlight the strong demand and enduring appreciation for his artistry and the declining number of works on the market. With almost 100% clearence rate, in 2022, Namatjira achieved total market sales of A$1,791,605. This strong performance indicates a robust interest in his art and the high value collectors place on his pieces. In 2023, total sales totaled A$1,323,301, with 29 artworks sold. The trend continued into 2024, where total market sales volume dropped to 22 works sold for A$ 978,698. Although the total volume of offered artworks has signigicantely diminished, the sustained interest in Namatjira's art is evident through the consistent occurrence of high-value sales. The continued presence of significant transactions indicates that collector interest and the intrinsic value of his art persist, underscoring his importance within the broader narrative of Australian art. Among some notable recent results are the sales at Cooee Art's Indigenous Fine Art Auction on March 5, 2024, Glen Helen Gorge (1942) achieved a sale price of A$73,636, showcasing Namatjira's ability to resonate with collectors, particularly those seeking historical and culturally significant pieces. In the latest auction at Menzies on March 27, 2024, Ellery Creek Big Hole (c. 1955) achieved a remarkable sale price of A$92,045, significantly exceeding its estimated value of A$30,000-40,000. Just a day before, Ghost Gums, North Macdonnell Ranges, sold for A$73,636 at Deutscher and Hackett's auction on March 26, 2024. Overall, these results illustrate a healthy market for Namatjira's works, with collectors actively pursuing pieces that not only reflect his unique artistic vision but also contribute to the broader narrative of Indigenous Australian art. The consistent performance across various auctions reaffirms Namatjira’s importance and the growing recognition of his legacy in the contemporary art scene. Historically, Albert Namatjira has been one of Australia’s most enduring artists and was the first Indigenous painter to be recognised internationally. He began painting in the early 1930s, and while the average price paid for his works rose steadily subsequent to his death in 1959 the record price for one of his paintings was still just $5,500 at the beginning of the 1980s. In 1986 however, Christies sold Large Ghost Gum, estimated at $5000-7000, for what was at that time, a staggering $15,000. During the next two years,1987/1988, all works offered at auction were sold and Sotheby’s set an auction record of $37,400 with White Gums, Central Australia. This lasted just four months before being pipped by a painting titled Central Australian Ranges, which sold for $38,000. By 1986 Namatjira’s average had already leaped to around $15,000 and increased by a further 22% just two years later in 1988 when the average price paid at auction for the 15 works sold was $20,567. While results were similar in 1989, from that point onward interest in his work went into a steep decline. This was due, in part, to the overall collapse in the Australian art market. Few of his paintings appeared at auction during the following seven years and by 1998 the average price of the ten paintings sold that year was just under $18,000. Nevertheless, at the dawn of the secondary market for Aboriginal art in 1994, the year Sotheby’s held their first specialist sale, works by Albert Namatjira held 43 of the highest 50 results ever achieved for Aboriginal paintings. They occupied all of the highest ten results other than the record setting work credited to Tommy McRae. By the following year his highest priced work had dropped to seventh on the all time list and only 22 remained amongst the top 50. A year later only six remained. By 2002, the year of the important exhibition Seeing the Centre: The Art of Albert Namatjira 1902-1959, curated by Alison French for the National Gallery of Australia, not a single work by Namatjira remained amongst the highest 50 prices achieved for Aboriginal artworks. However this exhibition provoked a re-evaluation of his work and re-invigorated interest in his paintings. Between 2003 and 2006 prices steadily increased from the nadir in the late 1990s, to an average price close to $25,500. In November 2005 Christies achieved a record of $50,190 for Neey-Too-gulpa, (Lot 26). Measuring 35.5 x 46.5 cm, it had been estimated at $35,000-45,000. In Deutscher-Menzies final sale of that year, another work of similar size sold for $48,000 (Lot 25). In fact, all of the artist’s top ten results have been achieved since 2003 with over 50 sales recorded as having exceeded $30,000. It is difficult to trace all of the works offered in order to detect which works failed to sell, and were subsequently successful at auction. The duplication of titles, the lack of dates on most of his works, and inconsistencies in measurements, is far too confusing. However investors should note, that of the top 50 results achieved for this artist, the vast majority have sold for between 5% and 20% above their high estimates. Even when looking at works in the lower price range, valuations by auction houses have continually underestimated the level of interest, and the amount collectors were prepared to pay. The prejudice against Namatjira amongst some appraisers during the first decade of the 21st century was ‘out of kilter’ with the public's enchantment with his works. This prejudice did not continue post 2005. In 2006 when Sotheby’s sold Ghost Gum, 36 x 24.5 cm for $58,800 (Lot 35), and Mt Heuglin, 35 x 35 cm for $52,800 (Lot 16). Both sold well above their high estimates. Then, in October, at their Aboriginal fine art sale which featured important works from the Wallent Collection, Sotheby’s achieved a new high water mark for the artist. A rare depiction of the early Hermannsburg mission, Hermannsburg Mission with Mt Hermannsburg in Background 1936 or 1937 , estimated at $40,000-60,000 sold for $96,000 smashing the previous record by more than $30,000 (Lot 23). In 2008, despite the gloomy art market overall, another undated but beautiful image called simply Ghost Gum sold for the artist's second highest record (prior to 2016) of $66,000 at the Sotheby’s October sale (Lot 168). Again in 2009 an impressive result for Ghost Gums, Central Australia saw the vendor realize $61,200, the artist's current sixth record. Since the beginning of 2010 Namatjira's success rate at auction has been higher than that of any other individual artist. It has consistently oscillated between 70 and 93%. The artist's highest price ever was set in 2016 when an iconic image of the early Hermannsburg mission sold for $122,000. Another very lovely image of Ormiston Gorge sold in the same auction for $85,400. Albert Namatjira was the 3rd most successful artist of the year in 2009 and 2nd most successful in every year subsequently other than 2014 when he finished on top of the list. In 2018, 25 of 27 works found buyers with one painting entering its top 10 results having sold for $63,250. In 2019, 24 sold of 28 offered and a work sold for $73,200, displacing others to become his 5th highest result. These results, and the affection in which Albert Namatjira is held in the national psyche, should ensure that prices for his most successful works will continue to steadily increase over time despite any changes in taste and fashion. Disclaimer: At Cooee Art Leven, we strive to maintain accurate and respectful artist profiles. Despite our efforts, there may be occasional inaccuracies. We welcome any corrections or suggested amendments. Please contact us with your feedback .

Artist Profile for Mary Dalpanany < Back Mary Dalpanany Mary Dalpanany ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE MARY DALPANANY - PANDANUS MAT SOLD AU$1,800.00 MARY DHAPALANY - PANDANAS MAT Sold AU$0.00 top Anchor 1 PROFILE Mary Dalpanany ARTIST CV Market Analysis MARKET ANALYSIS Disclaimer: At Cooee Art Leven, we strive to maintain accurate and respectful artist profiles. Despite our efforts, there may be occasional inaccuracies. We welcome any corrections or suggested amendments. Please contact us with your feedback .

Artist Profile for Eileen Yaritja Stevens < Back Eileen Yaritja Stevens Eileen Yaritja Stevens ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE EILEEN YARITJA STEVENS - PILATI OR NYAPARI SOLD AU$5,000.00 top Anchor 1 PROFILE Eileen Yaritja Stevens ARTIST CV Market Analysis MARKET ANALYSIS Disclaimer: At Cooee Art Leven, we strive to maintain accurate and respectful artist profiles. Despite our efforts, there may be occasional inaccuracies. We welcome any corrections or suggested amendments. Please contact us with your feedback .

The Rod Menzies Estate | Indigenous and Oceanic Art Collection | Part I 17 Thurlow Street Redfern NSW Wednesday 8th November 2023 Viewing Room The Rod Menzies Estate | Indigenous and Oceanic Art Collection | Part I Wednesday 8th November 2023 17 Thurlow Street Redfern NSW ROD MENZIES INDIGENOUS ART COLLECTION COMES TO AUCTION THIS NOVEMBER Sale includes Emily Kame Kngwarreye ’s, Earth ’s Creation II – whose sister work was sold by Cooee Art for a record $2.1 million, the highest sale price by an Australian female artist A significant collection of Australian Indigenous artworks owned by the estate of high-profile auctioneer, entrepreneur and art collector Rod Menzies is to be sold across two auctions, part one set for November 8 2023. The impressive collection of works for sale was amassed by Rod Menzies between 1999 and 2008, with many on permanent display in a purpose-built gallery at his historic Italianate Mansion. The Rod Menzies Estate Indigenous and Oceanic Art Collection comprises 214 paintings and artefacts with a combined market value of $3 - 5 million; many of these artworks hold the record price for their respective artists. Among the works for sale is the prodigious Emily Kame Kngwarreye’s Earth’s Creation II, 1995 (LOT #29 EST $400,000 - $600,000), the 318 x 251 cm work comprising nine panels. Kngwarreye’s Earth’s Creation I was previously sold by Cooee Art for $2.1 million, making it the most expensive piece sold by an Australian female artist. Painted during the same workshop, Earth’s Creation II features a cooler, more subdued palette. The grand work exhibits a bold confidence based on Kngwarreye’s deep understanding and inseparable connection to her country. In addition to the Sydney auction viewing, a Melbourne showing of Earth’s Creation II will take place at the Fin Gallery, Prahran. Other notable works in the collection include Rover Thomas’ Bullock Hide Story , 1995 (LOT #35 EST $50,000 - $70,000), Maggie Napangardi Watson’s Digging Stick Dreaming , 1995/1996 (LOT #28 EST $90,000 - $150,000) and Judy Napangardi Watson’s My Dreaming , 2007 (LOT #27 EST $25,000 - $35,000). In 2007, a significant number of works from the collection were toured throughout Australia as part of the Masterworks of the Menzies Collection exhibition. VIEW PDF CATALOGUE VIEW AUCTION ONLINE VIEW AUCTION RESULTS auction13

Artist Profile for Johnny Bulun Bulun < Back Johnny Bulun Bulun Johnny Bulun Bulun ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE JOHNNY BULUN BULUN - GUMANG YARLMAN SOLD AU$2,500.00 top Anchor 1 PROFILE Johnny Bulun Bulun ARTIST CV Market Analysis MARKET ANALYSIS Disclaimer: At Cooee Art Leven, we strive to maintain accurate and respectful artist profiles. Despite our efforts, there may be occasional inaccuracies. We welcome any corrections or suggested amendments. Please contact us with your feedback .

Artist Profile for Alice Nampijinpa Michaels < Back Alice Nampijinpa Michaels Alice Nampijinpa Michaels ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE top Anchor 1 PROFILE Alice Nampijinpa Michaels ARTIST CV Market Analysis MARKET ANALYSIS Disclaimer: At Cooee Art Leven, we strive to maintain accurate and respectful artist profiles. Despite our efforts, there may be occasional inaccuracies. We welcome any corrections or suggested amendments. Please contact us with your feedback .

Discover exceptional Aboriginal artists at Art Leven (formerly Cooee Art). Explore a diverse collection of Indigenous art, rich with cultural stories and creativity ARTIST ARCHIVE VIEW FEATURED ARTISTS VIEW GALLERY ARTISTS View our FEATURED ARTISTS or GALLERY ARTISTS here or see list below for some information about artists that have previously exhibited or are known First Nations artists. Ada Bird Petyarre Anatjari No. III Tjakamarra Boxer Milner Tjampitjin Daniel Walbidi Declan Apuatimi Dick Ngulei-Ngulei Murrumurru Eunice Napangardi Fred Tjakamarra George (Tjampu) Tjapaltjarri George Mung Mung Gloria Fletcher Thancoupie Gulumbu Yunupingu Hermannsberg Potters Inyuwa Nampitjin Janangoo Butcher Cherel John Kipara Tjakamarra Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula Kathleen Ngale Lilly Kelly Napangardi Long Jack Phillipus Tjakamarra Alec Mingelmanganu Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri Brook Andrew David Yirawala Dick (Goobalatheldin) Roughsey Ena Gimme Nungurrayi Evelyn Pultara Freddy West Tjakamarra George Hairbrush Tjungurrayi George Ward Tjungurrayi Gordon Bennett Helen S Tiernan Ian W. Abdulla Jack Karedada Jarinyanu David Downs John Mawurndjul Julie Dowling Kitty Kantilla Lily Karadada Long Tom Tjapanangka Anatjari No. I Tjampitjinpa Bobby Barrdjaray Nganjmirra Charlie Numbulmoore Deaf Tommy Mungatopi Dick Bininyuwuy Enraeld Djulabinyanna Munkara Flora Nakamarra Brown Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi George Milpurrurru Gertie Huddleston Greeny Purvis Petyarre Herbert Raberaba Ignatia Djanghara Jacqueline Puruntatameri Jeannie Pitjara Petyarre Johnny Mosquito Tjapangati Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa Lena Nyadbi Lily Kelly Napangardi Lorna Fencer Naparrula 1000 Page 3

Artist Profile for Antonia Napangardi Michaels < Back Antonia Napangardi Michaels Antonia Napangardi Michaels 1998 LANGUAGE: Warlpiri COMMUNITY: Yuendumu, NT ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS Antonia Napangardi Michaels was born on March 6, 1998, in Alice Springs Hospital, the nearest hospital to the remote Aboriginal community of Nyirripi, located approximately 420 km northwest of Alice Springs and about 130 km northwest of Yuendumu in the Northern Territory of Australia. READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE ANTONIA NAPANGARDI MICHAELS - LAPPI LAPPI JUKURRPA (LAPPI LAPPI DREAMING) SOLD AU$4,800.00 top Anchor 1 PROFILE Antonia Napangardi Michaels 1998 LANGUAGE: Warlpiri COMMUNITY: Yuendumu, NT Antonia Napangardi Michaels was born on March 6, 1998, in Alice Springs Hospital, the nearest hospital to the remote Aboriginal community of Nyirripi, located approximately 420 km northwest of Alice Springs and about 130 km northwest of Yuendumu in the Northern Territory of Australia. She is deeply rooted in a family of prominent Warlpiri artists, being the daughter of Andrea Nungarrayi Wilson and Chris Japanangka Michaels, and the granddaughter of Alice Nampijinpa Henworth. Antonia attended St Mary's School in Broome, graduating in 2012. After completing her education, she returned to Nyirripi and took up a role at the Learning Centre run by the Batchelor Institute, an Indigenous Tertiary Education Program. Here, she assisted students with computer skills, contributing to her community's educational resources. She began painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation—an Aboriginal-owned and governed art centre in Yuendumu and Nyirripi—at the young age of 12 in 2010 and resumed her artistic endeavors in 2014 at the age of 16. Antonia carries forward her family's artistic legacy, painting her grandmother’s Lappi Lappi Jukurrpa (Lappi Lappi Dreaming) and her father’s Janganpa Jukurrpa (Bush-tailed Possum Dreaming). These stories, richly imbued with the land's geography and its flora and fauna, have been passed down through generations. Antonia's artistic approach blends traditional iconography with a modern, individualistic style, utilizing an unrestricted palette and employing patterns in various contexts to express her cultural narratives. Married to Maxie Jampijinpa Pollard, Antonia is a mother to a son born in 2017. Beyond her professional life as an artist and educator, she enjoys hunting for bush tucker with her family and friends, maintaining a vibrant connection to her cultural heritage and the natural environment. ARTIST CV Market Analysis MARKET ANALYSIS Disclaimer: At Cooee Art Leven, we strive to maintain accurate and respectful artist profiles. Despite our efforts, there may be occasional inaccuracies. We welcome any corrections or suggested amendments. Please contact us with your feedback .

Artist Profile for Mick Tjapaltjarri Namarari < Back Mick Tjapaltjarri Namarari Mick Tjapaltjarri Namarari ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE MICK TJAPALTJARRI NAMARARI - TJUNGPA TJKURRPA - BUSH TUCKER Sold AU$0.00 MICK TJAPALTJARRI NAMARARI - MOUSE DREAMING Sold AU$0.00 top Anchor 1 PROFILE Mick Tjapaltjarri Namarari During a career that spanned almost three decades Mick Namarari became a towering presence, whose variety of subjects and diversity of stylistic approaches kept him at the forefront of Western Desert painting. Geoff Bardon noted his ability as a painter from the earliest days of the movement when he  'could often unexpectedly be found late at night working away at his meticulous and marvellous paintings' (Johnson 2000: 191). Much later, he was to play a quiet but decisive role in instigating the Papunya Tula art movement’s increasing ethereal minimalism of the late 1980’s and 1990's and in doing so significantly fueled the international reputation of Australian Aboriginal art, thereby earning himself an ‘incomparable place’ in Australian art history. During his childhood, Namarari traveled with his parents to many of the key sites through Pintupi country until a tribal raiding party speared and killed his father and his mother threw herself into a fire in grief. After recovering his mother, Maiyenu, and her two children were cared for by other family members who set up camp at Putati Spring south west of Mount Leibig. Namarari later attended school in the mission at Hermannsburg. He worked in the cattle industry at Tempe Downs, near Areyonga, and at Haasts Bluff, where he married his first wife. During this time he would often ‘go bush’ for extended periods, taking just a spear and a womera to hunt for food. Older Pintupi men taught him the songs and ceremonies associated with his childhood journeying and, after initiation into manhood, he was given the responsibility for maintaining the knowledge and ceremony of many ancestral sites. Resettled at Papunya, and serving on the community council with Johnny Warangkula and Nosepeg Tjupurrula in its early tumultuous days, Namarari’s ability as a painter was noted by Geoff Bardon’s from the outset of the modern desert art movement. Driven to paint, regardless of the materials at hand, his early paintings were closely tied to narrative. Symbolic designs were painted, often on a rich, earthy background, with a sharpness of line that imbued them with a remarkable clarity. The key formal elements provided the basis for his later works as he constantly explored and expanded upon their aesthetic potential. He would unravel endless variations on one Dreaming story by focusing on different aspects of its telling.  His inventive array of techniques demonstrated a singular and personally felt perspective that always managed to take his audience by surprise. In 1978 he played the leading role in Bardon’s film Mick and The Moon. The film told of an Aboriginal man who believed he owned the moon, but had a duty to paint ceremonial pictures in order to make this belief become true. His moon paintings of this period have an omniscient perspective, revealing a cosmology where the human world and the landscape are continuous with each other rather than being defined against each other, as in the European tradition. He depicted landscape by 'invoking a whole cosmology, a religious morality and an ethics of social interaction' (Clark 2005: 62). This broader spiritual meaning shaped the way Namarari perceived relations between the human and non-human world. Visually this consciousness manifested itself in Namarari’s art, most especially in his non-figurative and non-iconographic paintings, exemplified by his Mouse Dreaming paintings, in their representation of space. The hypnotic minimalist fields of dots suggest the 'microscopic life of the desert' (Johnson 2000: 191), and the intimate placement of the artist within his subject, not apart from it. One of the few artists to stay on in Papunya after the Pintupi exodus of the early 1980’s he finally settled at Nyunmanu near Marnpi with his second wife Elizabeth Marks Nakamarra and their three children. However the need to support his young family through his burgeoning art practice saw Namarari move in to Kintore and travel more frequently to Alice Springs from the late 1980’s onward, by which time his paintings were increasingly sought after by galleries. Mick Namarari was credited as having played the decisive role in propelling Papunya Tula art away from the edifice of Tingari cartography towards the ethereal minimalism of the 1990’s. In 1989 he attended the opening of the exhibition Mythscapes at the National Gallery of Victoria and two years later his triumph in winning the 8th National Aboriginal Art Award in 1991 became an important milestone both personally, and for the Papunya Tula Artists company. His stature grew following solo exhibitions at Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi in 1991 and 1992 and with Utopia Art Sydney in 1993 and 1994. These exhibitions demonstrated his capability for ongoing innovation and also proved the viewing audience’s appreciation for the distinct individuality of his signature style. By this time, Namarari had condensed his symbolism into a densely worked abstract code that reflected the microscopic life of the desert amid its shimmering contours and ephemeral shifting light. Dazzling surfaces, often composed of subtle currents of yellow and white fingertip stipple, suggested an emerging form, an invisible ancestor palpably present within the meticulously applied paint. While Namarari remained loyal to Papunya Tula artists he painted a number of major works outside of the company during the mid to late 1990’s most importantly several masterpieces for independent dealer Steve Nibbs, that found their way in to important galleries and collections. During his later years, Namarari helped transmit to a new generation of rising artists, the knowledge and techniques that play a crucial role in the regeneration of Aboriginal culture to this day. He increasingly returned to his outstation at Nyunmanu, close to his original homelands. It had been his 'yearning for return to country' (Kean 2000), that had always informed his work. It was that loss of contact with country that had imparted such a raw power and poignancy to those early Papunya paintings, prompting Bardon to act so courageously in the face of bureaucratic opposition. Namarari lived to see the fruition of that yearning, enabling his Pintupi clansmen to return to their country, supported by art sales and favourable changes in government policies. The exodus was documented in the film Benny and the Dreamers 1993, in which Namarari describes his first encounter with Europeans. Within the framework of that vital tethering to country, Namarari’s career moved through many phases, due in part to his custodianship of many totemic sites, but also largely to his unique and ingenious approach. He was a quiet character, Bardon later recalled, and 'of the briefest conversation' (Bardon, 2004). He much preferred to remain at home with his wife and many adopted children rather than travel the circuit of openings and awards. In his last works, narrative and abstraction had found their perfect synthesis. He was acknowledged as an ever-evolving master, whose consistency and brilliance was confirmed by the presence of his work in galleries and collections in Australia and around the world. Mick Namarari was the first recipient of Aboriginal Australia’s highest cultural accolade, the Australia Council’s Red Ochre Award, presented to him in 1994. ARTIST CV Market Analysis MARKET ANALYSIS Works by this artist in the market fall in to three distinct historical periods. His early 1970s boards, while drawing attention from ethnophiles, have achieved reasonable results but have failed to shine alongside works by his more illustrious contemporaries of that period. Only two of these appear in his top ten results despite a number of highly accomplished pieces, including his magnificent Untitled 1972 painting offered for sale at Sotheby’s in July 2003 selling for only $38,100 (Lot 107). Namarari appears to have painted very few works between 1973 and the mid 1980s having left the Papunya community and settled further west in a move that preceded the Pintupi exodus in the late 1970s and his own move to Walungurru. His paintings of the mid 1980s are generally looser than his early boards, though they failed to abandon structure completely. On occasion, works from this period feature figurative elements, as in his untitled 1987 work sold at Christie's in 2005 for just $21,510 (Lot 207). The image of a large snake entering a cave site appears clumsy in comparison to his later works. The same is true for other more formal works of the period, including Whirlwind Dreaming 1986, sold at Sotheby’s in 1998 (Lot 51). During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Namarari returned to a style reminiscent of his early work, painting a large number of works in a more linear style with sites depicted as concentric and radiating lines. Despite the quality of these often powerful and well constructed images, they have proved to be unsuccessful in the market, a majority either failing to sell or only barely reaching their low estimates. Measuring 183 x 153 cm and selling for $63,000 (at an estimate of $30,000-50,000 in Sotheby's June 2000 sale (Lot 117)), Tjakaalpa at Putjana 1991 was one of the most successful of these works. Since 2005, only three records have entered his top ten results. His record was set in 2013, when an untitled work created in 1994 depicting rain at Nyunmanu sold for $219,600. It was featured in Bonham's lavish sale of the Laverty collection at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The previous record, Tjunpinpa (Small Mouse Dreaming) (sold at Sotheby’s for $210,000), had stood for a decade. Until they abandoned Aboriginal art salesin Australia in 2013, Sotheby’s was most strongly identified with Namarari’s paintings, having sold 125 works for a total of more than $2 million. His best years at auction were shortly after his death in 1998; between 1999-2000 forty paintings sold for a total of $843,660 at a clearance rate of 71%. In fact, between 1994 and 2000 Namarari’s clearance rate was 79% while it dropped to just 45% between 2001 and 2010.  Not a single work in his top 20 results was painted between 1973 and 1990. In 2016, although of the 16 works on offer only 4 sold, he reached good numbers with one work selling for $64,328 and another for $55,751. In 2017, however, not a single work of the seven on offer ended up selling. Since 2000, by far his most popular paintings have been those created toward the end of his life. This phenomenon seems to have been sparked by the sale of a major black and white work originally commissioned by Steve Nibbs of Yapa Art in Alice Springs in 1998. The painting, exhibited in ‘The White Show’ at William Mora Gallery in 1998, was offered for sale at Deutscher Menzies in 2000. With an estimate of $35,000-50,000, it was knocked down for just $28,200 including buyer’s premium. Offered for sale just one year later at Sotheby’s with an estimate of $50,000-70,000 it sold for $110,500. The highest prices achieved for Namarari works since then have all been for similar works, featuring ethereal fields of dots. The best of these paintings work on a number of visual and aesthetic levels and will continue to attract high prices. Yet his linear works created from 1985 to 1995 are highly accomplished and currently vastly underrated. A lot of these are very good paintings, and would seem to represent a fantastic opportunity for collectors and investors, given Namarari’s status as one of the greatest and most significant of all Aboriginal desert painters. Disclaimer: At Cooee Art Leven, we strive to maintain accurate and respectful artist profiles. Despite our efforts, there may be occasional inaccuracies. We welcome any corrections or suggested amendments. 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