Artist Profile for Dr David Daymirringu Malangi < Back Dr David Daymirringu Malangi Dr David Daymirringu Malangi ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE top Anchor 1 PROFILE Dr David Daymirringu Malangi David Malangi, who began painting in the early 1960’s, played a vital role in the development of the contemporary Aboriginal art movement and became, during his lifetime, one of the great inspirational figures of Arnhem Land art. While, for many older Australians, he is best known for the image that featured on the now defunct one-dollar note, he was also a traveling ambassador for his country and his people and achieved worldwide recognition for his innovative yet deeply tradition-based bark paintings. He was born at the mouth of the Glyde River in Central Arnhem Land and like many of the Manharrju people, divided his time between periods at the off-shore Milingimbi mission and extended stays in his own country on the mainland, where he and his family lived according to traditional law. He often worked on the mission as a garden labourer and caring for livestock. He had been painting for ceremony since his teenage years but, after the death of his father in the late sixties, he became apprenticed to the ceremonial leader Ghawadanygulili. He soon took a more serious approach to art as a career and painted for a growing audience outside of his tribal group. He had already been painting for more than fifteen years when, in 1979, he became a founding member of the Ramingining Arts and Crafts centre, later called Bula Bula Arts. This enabled him to paint full time. In 1966, after Paris-based collector Karel Kupka purchased his work for the Musee National des Arts d’Afrique et d’Oceanie in Paris, Malangi’s bark Mortuary Feast 1963 was noticed by the Australian Reserve Bank and, without his permission, used as a design for the new one dollar bill. The design depicted the funeral of the first man, the hunter Gurrmirringu, who lies in state surrounded by seated song men with clapsticks and didgeridoo, ensuring that the ancestral spirit arrives safely at his final destination. Surrounding the group were the animals representing the hunter’s catch and his final funeral feast. The white berry tree, with its ordered rows of berries and leaves, structured and framed the picture while at its roots lurked Dharpa, the King Brown Snake, the evil spirit whose bite had killed Gurrmirringu. This image depicted the occasion of the first death and how Gurrmirringu’s spirit came to watch over the Manyarrngu people. As this Dreaming myth was of sacred significance and Malangi felt responsible as its custodian for the theft, he was deeply upset when he eventually saw it. At this time non-Indigenous Australians considered that, as Aboriginal art was communally owned, individual copyright should not apply in law. It would be many years and many individual legal cases before Indigenous copyright would be established, however the publicity that was generated by David Malangi’s anguish played a vital role in stimulating the debate about Aboriginal intellectual rights both legally and morally. He was eventually awarded a specially struck medal and paid one thousand dollars for the design. The governor of the Reserve Bank, Dr. Nugget Coombs who presented these to him, became his lifelong friend and went on to become a legendary figure in Australian politics and a tireless advocate for Aboriginal land rights and self-determination. During the 1970’s and 1980’s Malangi began to take aspects of the Gurrmirringu myth and explore new compositional possibilities in individual paintings, often setting the scene with the plants and animals before the grand event. His style was unmistakable with its masterly draughtsmanship, rich natural pigments and captivating composition. His bold, iconic depictions of ancestral beings became established figures in the Australian psyche. Another focus of Malangi’s work was the mapping of his mother’s country, Yathalamarra, through the journeys of its mythic ancestors. In tracing their travels he depicted the sacred sites and life giving waterholes they created as they passed; the plants and animals they named; and the ceremonies and religious knowledge they provided in order to assure both the physical and spiritual sources of human sustenance. By this time, Aboriginal art was entering the forefront of the Australian art scene, generating great international interest and becoming sought after as representing an extraordinary and unique cultural heritage. Malangi was a key figure in these developments. He was one of the first Aboriginal artists to be included in the Sydney Biennale and in 1983, his suite of paintings in Australian Perspecta at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, constituted an incontrovertible land rights statement that later contributed to a successful claim by his people. He was sought out to participate in other major exhibitions and events, including the New York exhibition Dreamings: The art of Aboriginal Australia, 1988, and the permanent Aboriginal Memorial 1988, at the National Gallery, Canberra. In 1989, twenty three years after his Mortuary Feast design had been used without his permission, Malangi again played a pivotal role in the benchmark case that finally, and for all time, established copyright for all Aboriginal artists. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by the Australian National University in 1996 and two years later received an Emeritus Award from the Australia Council. Doctor David Daymirringu Malangi was now world famous but still lived with his four wives in the beautiful freshwater region of Yathalamarra, his mother’s country, painting diligently and encouraging his many children towards art and education. Late in his life, during the 1990’s Malangi, in a way reminiscent of  Henri Matise and Constantin Brancusi, distilled everything he had ever wanted to say into the most iconic simplified imagery. Two of these remain the most indelible and powerful statements about the connection between Aboriginal people and their land. Luku, meaning foot but also root, depicted the footprint of Malangi’s ancestor Gurrmirringu. The other, which was other most likely the last painting he ever created, depicts in black and white with simple yellow outline, the encrusted mud at Dhamala. Both denote Malangi’s connection to the subterranean domain, the spiritual source of all worldly beings and of the country that holds them. For Malangi, this was the ever-present awareness that had always fuelled his generous and deeply creative soul. In 1998 the entire community, from the youngest person to the oldest, paraded to a gathering outside Bula Bula Arts to celebrate David Malangi’s ‘retirement.' Elders led every clan group in their own totemic dance in paying honour to Malangi as he sat, resplendent in white, surrounded by his large extended family. It was, for all who participated, an incredibly moving occasion. He passed away the following year, greatly missed and very fondly remembered by friends and a large number of far-flung admirers.         Five years after his death, a major retrospective exhibition of his works, No Ordinary Place: The Art of David Malangi, was held at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra and toured to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin. ARTIST CV Market Analysis MARKET ANALYSIS During his lifetime David Malangi was one of the best known and loved Aboriginal artists in Australia. He was more highly recognised, during the 1970s and 1980s than most of the desert painters whose reputations did not transcend his until the early 1990s. He was a prolific bark painter whose works were collected by major museums throughout Australia as well as France, Germany and the United States of America. The list of prestigious exhibitions that included his works, the awards that he was given, and the books in which his artworks featured is as impressive as any other single Aboriginal artist. His works first appeared at auction in 1987 and since that time over 150 have been offered. However the fact that his works have been available since the earliest specialist auctions were held, as well as his prolific production has mitigated against his average prices despite the high regard in which he is held. While he was principally known as a bark painter he occasionally created carvings and it was for two of these rare works, created during the 1960s, that his highest record prices have been recorded. The first Gurrmirringu’s Wife c.1968, stood 85 cm high and sold for $56,900 in Sotheby’s July 2005 auction (Lot 67). The other, a smaller double-sided piece measuring 56 x 56 cm of Gurrmirringu and His Wife c.1961 fetched $33,400 when sold in Sotheby’s July 2003 auction (Lot 235). These were astronomical prices justifying the high estimates Tim Klinginder of Sotheby’s placed on the works. In fact these excellent results indicate that rare sculptural pieces have been received with far more interest than even the very finest of Malangi’s more ubiquitous bark paintings. Admittedly, the two spectacular carvings were created in the 1960s, however another one half the size, that was made c.1980 had sold below the lower estimate for a mere $690 in Sotheby’s June 1997 sale (Lot 300). Nevertheless a hardwood boomerang featuring painted File Snakes sold for a very healthy $6,362 at Joel Fine At in June 2007 (Lot 86) against a presale estimate of $2,000-3,000 and a ceremonial paddle created in 1969 sold for $1,200 at Lawson~Menzies in May 2006 (Lot 248). While these were beautifully realised pieces of art, one can only assume that the premium paid for Malangi’s sculptural pieces was due to their rarity. Only eight have been offered since 1987 and six have sold. This may also apply to the only work on canvas ever recorded as having been offered for sale. Gurrmirringu Story c.1992 measuring 183 x 188 cm was offered at Sotheby’s in July 2001 (Lot 175) and achieved $8,400, the artists third highest price for a painting and his fifth highest price overall. Sotheby’s indicated that this work, previously exhibited at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, was reputedly the artist’s first attempt to paint on canvas rather than bark and it was possibly the largest work he ever created. Malangi was obviously unimpressed with the medium as, having held several solo exhibitions for him in Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery during the late 1990s, I never saw any evidence of others. However he did engage in printmaking and while only one print has appeared to date at auction, three works on paper have been offered and all three have sold at an average price of $1,752, the best being Burala Cormorant and Waterlillies 1995, created in natural earth pigments and measuring 98 x 70 cm. This sold for $3,360 at Lawson~Menzies in November 2004 (Lot 340). The highest price for a bark was the $9,000 paid for a 86 x 63 cm work titled Gunmirringu (sic) the Great Hunter 1985, which sold in Lawson~Menzies June 2004 auction (Lot 264). This image and that of the canvas work mentioned above, was very similar to the artwork reproduced on the one-dollar note for which David Malangi was famous. Interestingly, it was for bark paintings that David Malangi was most famous, yet his barks have often languished when offered for sale. For an artist who painted for nearly 40 years it seems unusual that the year his works were painted appears to make little difference to the price, while the image seems to be the determining factor. For example, the average price for a work featuring ‘catfish’ in the title is only $1,500, while the average for a similar sized bark with Gurrmirringu is closer to $4,000. By looking at the trend of his average prices over the years and ignoring 2001 when just one work sold (his second best result) it appears that, apart from a spike in 2004 when 11 works sold at an average of  $3,737 and 2005 when seven sold for an average of $10,511, there has been very little change since 1994. Only 9 of his paintings have sold for more than $5,000; while 20 have sold for between $2,500 and $5,000; over 45 between $1,000 and $2,500; and 15 for less than $1,000. Granted these records have been achieved over two decades however, along with the prices paid for his sculptures, they provide ample evidence that for an artist of such importance, David Malangi’s paintings are very good buying indeed. However, between 2016 and 2017 only two bark paintings were offered and both passed in. Since the secondary market for Aboriginal art gained pace in the early 1990s, collectors have been prepared to pay extremely high prices for even the most ordinary 1971-1974 desert paintings. And when compared to the prices currently being paid for the vast majority of contemporary desert and Kimberley works, not to mention a host of  bark painters that were taught by Malangi and his contemporaries (such as John Mawurndjurl and Ivan Namariki) in the primary market, paintings by Malangi and a number of his contemporaries are vastly undervalued. Bark painters like Malangi produced works that, in the opinion of those that have real historical and cultural knowledge and insight, are the epitome of Aboriginal fine art. That being the case, now is most definitely the time to acquire one for any respectable collection. 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 Yalanba Waṉambi < Back Yalanba Waṉambi Yalanba Waṉambi ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE top Anchor 1 PROFILE Yalanba Waṉambi 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 .

YalandjaOwen Owen Yalandja Owen Yalandja 1962 Owen Yalandja is the son of artists Crusoe Kuningbal and Lena Kuriniya, and grew up at Barrihdjowkkeng outstation in West Arnhem Land between Maningrida and Gunbalanya. His father was the first artist to carve Mimih spirit figures, beginning around 1968. These were originally used in the Mamurrng trade ceremony, as well as in dances. He passed this artform on to Owen as well as his other sons Crusoe Kurddal and Timothy Wulanjbirr, also well known artists. Yalandja started carving independently following his father’s death in 1984. In the innovative spirit of his father’s work however, he moved away from Mimih carvings and developed a distinctive sculptural style centred on the depiction of Yawkyawk spirits. These slender, female spirits are regarded as the guardians of sacred water bodies. They have tails like fish and for this reason are sometimes referred to as ‘mermaids’. They are at once feared and revered, beautiful and frightening. They protect the land, and for those following the law, can sometimes aid in fishing and other pursuits. However anyone who does not respect a sacred water body can be pulled by them under the water to their death. A billabong in Yalandja’s country of Barrihdjowkkeng is an important sacred site for Yawkyawk, and this spirit is the primary totem of his Dangkorlo clan. Yalandja’s Yawkyawk spirit carvings are marked by their intricate and delicate surface decoration, incorporating fine dotting or a tiny v-shaped scale pattern of Yalandja’s invention. This intricacy stands in an interesting formal tension with the simple, almost elemental shapes of the Yawkyawk. These are carved from carefully selected, often curved, pieces of northern kurrajong (Brachychiton diversifolius) or ironwood (Erythrophleum chlorostachys). The Yawkyawk take on a form and life of their own, but the form of their parent tree is barely disguised, like a mark of their closeness to the land from which they have sprung. Their faces, with close set eyes and a central vertical line running down their length, are otherworldly and display a subtlety and simple grace which many works by lesser known carvers fail to match. The curves or straightness the carvings gives them their individual life - subtle differences render the Yawyawk graceful, curious, stern or vaguely threatening. Yalandja’s carvings also stand apart in their inventive flair, sometimes incorporating carved and painted details such as smaller Yawkyawk, breasts, unborn babies, and faces in relief. Owen Yalandja has had a number of solo exhibitions, including at Annandale Galleries, Sydney (2004), Redback Art Gallery, Brisbane (2002) and Aboriginal and Pacific Arts, Sydney (2000). Notable group exhibitions include Crossing Country at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (2004), In the Heart of Arnhem Land: Myth and the making of contemporary Aboriginal art, Musée del l’Hôtel-Dieu, France and the Biennale of Sydney (2000). Profile author: Dan Kennedy Owen Yalandja is primarily a sculptor with a lineage linking him to the finest carvers of his clan. He began carving in the early 1990s and, though they became increasingly popular in the primary market, it was not until 2002 that his first works began to appear at auction. His earliest record, set that year at $14,400, was at least 4 times the price that a comparable work could be bought in the primary market. Prior to 2004 his works could be purchased through a range of good exhibiting galleries including the Hogarth Galleries, Aboriginal and Pacific Arts, Gabrielle Pizzi Gallery and Coo-ee Aboriginal Art. However it was his subsequent exclusive representation by Annandale Galleries in Sydney that introduced his serpentine delicate pieces to a new collector base. He was especially prolific during the period 2004 to 2010 and with a good supply of high quality pieces in the primary market very little appeared for auction prior to 2009. In that year 3 sculptures appeared and sold for a combined total of $26,520 and by the end of the following year when four works sold for $75,480, the number of pieces that had appeared at public auction had risen to 9. His current record price was set in 2016 when a 266 cm high sculpture entitled Yawk Yawk Fresh Water Mermaid Spirit at Barrhidjowkeng sold in Sotheby's London sale for GBP30,000 ($AUD51,462). This displaced his previous record set in 2013 when a 218 cm high work carried a pre-sale estimate of $15,000-20,000 at Deutscher & Hackett (Lot 135) sold for $36,000 including Buyer's Premium. Interestingly two other substantial pieces (far heavier and more robust than his more recognised works) have sold for more than $30,000 each. Only one bark by Yalandja has ever appeared for auction. Depicting a Mimih spririt in a minimal style similar to the delicate dotted decoration on his carvings, this small 40.5 x 19.5 cm painting sold for $2440 at Mossgreen's July 2014 sale (Lot 44). 2015 was by far the most active year for offerings of Yalandja's work at auction. No less than 7 works were on offer, and by the end of the year he had a career success rate of 82% and a very healthy average price of $10,364. Owen Yalandja now has 35 recorded offerings at public auction and is firmly established amongst the top 100 artists of all time. His most appealing works are thin whispy and etherial. The last time a set of beautiful, pieces such as this appeared at public auction was in 2009 when a set of 4 sold for $19,200 at Sotheby's. As nicely mounted and presented examples like these appear in the years ahead, expect intense interest. Explore our artworks See some of our featured artworks below ANGELINA PWERLE NGAL - UNTITLED ( BUSH RAISIN MAN) Price AU$3,000.00 ALISON (JOJO) PURUNTATAMERI - WINGA (TIDAL MOVEMENT/WAVES) Out of stock LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - KURLURRNGALINYPA JUKURRPA Price From AU$13,500.00 BRONWYN BANCROFT - UNTITLED Out of stock JOSHUA BONSON - SKIN: A CELEBRATION OF CULTURE Price AU$8,500.00 BOOK - KONSTANTINA - GADIGAL NGURA Price From AU$99.00 FREDDIE TIMMS - MOONLIGHT VALLEY Price AU$35,000.00 NEIL ERNEST TOMKINS - BURN THERE, DON'T BURN THERE Price AU$7,000.00 SHOP NOW

INSPIRED: COLLECTORS EDITION 17 Thurlow St, Redern, NSW 2016 01 April - 29 April 2023 INSPIRED: COLLECTORS EDITION 01 April - 29 April 2023 INSPIRED: COLLECTORS EDITION 01 April - 29 April 2023 17 Thurlow St, Redern, NSW 2016 Few areas in Australia, if any, have an artistic history reaching further back than the Western Kimberley. Here, the artistic tradition stems from rock painting, mostly of the deeply important Wandjina Deity, which still forms the basis of contemporary imagery, now painted mostly on bark and canvas. Some Wandjina cave paintings date as far back as 40,000 years. There are few things more deeply rooted in this continent. The artists still use the very marrow of their land – natural earth pigments (ochres) – dug from the soil to relate their Country on canvas. In the East Kimberley however, the artistic practice finds its roots more recently, formed around the founders of the Gija art movement, including Rover Thomas, Paddy Jaminji and Hector Jandany. Queenie McKenzie, under the urging of Rover Thomas, was the first female Kimberley artist to paint and exhibit her own works. Developed most famously by Rover Thomas, the language of landscape is unique to this area, with Country viewed neither from the birds eye perspective prominent in Central and Western Desert art, nor from the standing viewpoint employed by European landscape painters. These paintings can be restrained, using few colours to depict vast swathes of land. Yet artists often populate the landscape, as did Queenie McKenzie and Hector Jandany, both of whom populated their canvases with a mix of traditional Gija and Christian iconography. Many of Rover Thomas and Paddy Jaminji’s figurative works are built around the important Kril Kril ceremony. Many of these works, now housed in major collections, still bear the handprints from their ceremonial use. HECTOR JANDANY - HOW THE RAINBOW SNAKE DROWNED HECTOR'S GRANDFATHER price AU$3,000.00 DAVID JANGALA COX - UNTITLED price AU$2,000.00 COLLEEN CARTER - SUGARBAG YARD, BOW RIVER price AU$1,800.00 LILY KARADADA - WANDJINA - RAIN SPIRITS Sold AU$0.00 TOMMY CARROLL - UNTITLED (GRANDFATHER'S COUNTRY) Sold AU$0.00 SHIRLEY PURDIE - SANDFROG DREAMING Sold AU$0.00 JACK BRITTEN - GOONDARRINYARRIN – PURNULULU price AU$3,000.00 MABEL WIRINGGOON JULI - KARNGIN NGARRANGKARNI (MOON DREAMING) Sold AU$2,000.00 MABEL WIRINGGOON JULI - UNTITLED Sold AU$0.00 KATIE COX - HILLS OF WARMUN Sold AU$0.00 BEERBEE MUNGNARI - CARLTON RIDGE Sold AU$0.00 PATRICK MUNG MUNG - PURNULULA Sold AU$0.00 HENRY WAMBINY - HILLS OF TICKALARA price AU$2,500.00 KATIE COX - GIMMINBAR, LISSADELL STATION price AU$1,800.00 PATRICK MUNG MUNG - UNTITLED Sold AU$0.00 CLANCY PATRICK - PURNULULU Sold AU$0.00 GORDON BARNEY - BIRMO HILLS Sold AU$0.00 JACK BRITTEN - GURIRR GURIRR Sold AU$0.00 EX INSPIRED

TRACING THE COUNTRY Living landscapes From 02 March to 31 March 2023 TRACING THE COUNTRY From 02 March to 31 March 2023 TRACING THE COUNTRY From 02 March to 31 March 2023 Living landscapes LIVING LANDSCAPES FROM THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN DESERTS In the majority of Central and Western Desert communities, many painting styles are centered around landscape, depicted from a birdseye perspective like a map of the artist’s country. For many newcomers and first time collectors of Australian Aboriginal art, this is the key to unlocking and beginning to understand the imagery. Unlike a map, however, these landscape aren’t fixed but defined and shaped by living things. Emily Kame Kngwarreye is beloved for her renderings of country by way of the yam, its roots spreading under the surface, or its namesake flowers (Kame) blooming and wilting across country, colouring the surface as they change with the seasons. Dorothy Napangardi’s Warlpiri country is described by ancestral women, dancing across the desert as digging sticks sprout from the ground. These points are represented by the dotting in most of her work, and this movement is how Dorothy formed the rolling sandhills of her home. Julie Robinson Nangala, Dorothy’s daughter, shares a similar approach in her practice. Barbara Weir learned from and painted aside her mother, Minnie Pwerle. In this beautiful large triptych, Weir employs the style her mother is most known for, in which the marks mimic ceremonial body painting relating to ancestral travel, plants, animals, and natural forces. Here, not only the stewardship of country is passed down, but also visual the language to describe it. This exhibition aims to highlight the language of landscape, depicted through its scars and adornments, the joyous acupuncture of its creation, and its maps leading to essential living water sources and sacred sites. These works are living snapshots, tracing and creating the country anew with each brushstroke, while still following the traces of sacred and essential knowledge passed down. DICKIE MINYINTIRI - KAPI TJUKUPA price AU$14,000.00 NYURAPAYIA (MRS BENNETT) NAMPITJINPA - UNTITLED price AU$3,500.00 KATHLEEN PETYARRE - MY COUNTRY-BUSH SEEDS Sold AU$0.00 PEG LEG TJAMPITJINPA - UNTITLED (PAIR) price AU$7,000.00 NYANYUMA NAPANGARDI - TINGARI DREAMING CYCLE price AU$3,300.00 EMILY KAME KNGWARREYE - ARLATYITE DREAMING (BUSH POTATO) Sold AU$0.00 MINNIE PWERLE - AWELYE (TRIPTYCH) price AU$6,000.00 MULKUN WIRRPANDA - YARRANU Sold AU$0.00 EX TTC

Artist Profile for Michael Tjangala Gallagher < Back Michael Tjangala Gallagher Michael Tjangala Gallagher ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE MICHAEL TJANGALA GALLAGHER - YUWALKI Sold AU$750.00 top Anchor 1 PROFILE Michael Tjangala Gallagher 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 Charlie Tjapangati < Back Charlie Tjapangati Charlie Tjapangati ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE CHARLIE TJAPANGATI - TINGARI CYCLE SOLD AU$3,300.00 CHARLIE TJAPANGATI - TINGARI Sold AU$0.00 CHARLIE TJAPANGATI - KIPARITJARRA Sold AU$0.00 top Anchor 1 PROFILE Charlie Tjapangati 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 Maggie Watson Napangardi Also know as: Maggie Napangardi Ross < Back Maggie Watson Napangardi Also know as: Maggie Napangardi Ross Maggie Watson Napangardi 1921 - 2004 Also know as: Maggie Napangardi Ross Region: Tanami Desert Community: Yuendumu Language: Warlpiri Art Centre: Warlukurlangu ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS Maggie Watson Napangardi’s journey into painting began late in life, at the age of 60, but by the time of her death in 2004, she had firmly established herself as the leading female artist of Yuendumu, a remote Warlpiri settlement 300 kilometres northwest of Alice Springs. Yuendumu, located at the southern edge of Warlpiri land, became the heart of this desert community after the forced resettlement of its people in the 1950s. It was here that emerged as a formidable figure, challenging the longstanding male dominance of the Central Desert painting movement. READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE MAGGIE WATSON NAPANGARDI - WOMEN'S STORY Sold AU$0.00 MAGGIE WATSON NAPANGARDI - HAIR STRING AND SNAKE VINE DREAMING Sold AU$0.00 MAGGIE WATSON NAPANGARDI - NGALYAPI VINE (SNAKE VINE) Sold AU$0.00 MAGGIE WATSON NAPANGARDI - MINA MINA Sold AU$0.00 MAGGIE WATSON NAPANGARDI - KANA, DIGGING STICKS Sold AU$0.00 top Anchor 1 PROFILE Maggie Watson Napangardi 1921 - 2004 Region: Tanami Desert Community: Yuendumu Language: Warlpiri Art Centre: Warlukurlangu Maggie Watson Napangardi’s journey into painting began late in life, at the age of 60, but by the time of her death in 2004, she had firmly established herself as the leading female artist of Yuendumu, a remote Warlpiri settlement 300 kilometres northwest of Alice Springs. Yuendumu, located at the southern edge of Warlpiri land, became the heart of this desert community after the forced resettlement of its people in the 1950s. It was here that emerged as a formidable figure, challenging the longstanding male dominance of the Central Desert painting movement. From the mid-1980s, Maggie Watson was a central figure in a group of women artists whose work not only rivalled but reshaped the cultural and artistic landscape. Their emergence in Yuendumu, and simultaneously in Utopia, where the Anmatyerr and Alyawarre peoples were forging their own path, marked a pivotal shift. The notion that men alone were the custodians of the visual traditions of these communities was decisively overturned. These women, including Maggie, moved from painting ritual objects to producing works on canvas, aided by the introduction of acrylic paints. This transition was not just a stylistic shift but one that allowed their art to reach broader audiences beyond the desert. Maggie Watson quickly became a leader within the Warlukurlangu Artists cooperative, which was established in the mid-1980s. Her work was part of Yuendumu’s first public exhibition at the Araluen Arts Centre in Alice Springs in 1985, with her first commercial show following two years later at Sydney’s Hogarth Galleries. Her reputation grew with the 1988 exhibition Yuendumu: Paintings of the Desert at the South Australian Museum, a show that toured nationally and internationally. At the heart of Maggie Watson’s oeuvre lies the Warlpiri women’s Dreaming of the Karntakurlangu, a rich, ancient narrative that follows the travels of ancestral women across the desert. This Dreaming, shared by fellow artists like Dorothy Napangardi Robertson, tells of women equipped with digging sticks that magically emerged from the earth to aid their journey, gathering food and creating sacred sites along the way. As they danced across the desert, these women, their movements and chants, left an indelible mark on the landscape, which remains central to Warlpiri ceremony. Watson Napangardi’s paintings are instantly recognisable for their rhythmic, linear precision, achieved through intricate dotting. Bands of alternating colour give her works a hypnotic quality, mimicking the movements of Warlpiri women as they dance in ceremony. Her embrace of acrylic paints, with their glossy finish, reflected the Warlpiri’s cultural reverence for shimmering surfaces, seen as symbols of ancestral beauty. Maggie’s confident use of colour—vivid yet never garish—became a defining feature of her work. She favoured soft pastels, with yellows, turquoise, and a clear sky blue adding to the allure of her carefully rendered compositions. Most of her major works were produced in collaboration with her son-in-law Peter van Groessen, with whom she worked in studios in Adelaide and Alice Springs in the 1990s. These works, often large in scale, were primarily sold through Kimberley Art in Melbourne and a gallery in Chicago, contributing to her growing recognition. Today, she is regarded as one of Australia’s most important female Aboriginal artists. Watson’s impact extended beyond her individual works. She played a key role in the creation of a 7 x 3 metre canvas commissioned in 1991 for the Aratjara: Australian Aboriginal Art exhibition, which toured Europe in 1993. Her contribution to the Australian National Gallery’s Warlpiri collection in 1992 further solidified her legacy. Despite Maggie Watson’s passing in 2004, her influence continued to resonate through numerous posthumous exhibitions. In 2012, her vibrant works were featured in The Bright The Bold & The Beautiful at Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery in Sydney, alongside prominent figures like Sally Gabori and Minnie Pwerle, highlighting her lasting impact on the Aboriginal art movement. In 2008, Watson’s pieces were displayed in Paintings from Remote Communities: Indigenous Australian Art from the Laverty Collection at Newcastle Regional Gallery, affirming her position in the canon of Indigenous art. Her inclusion in Colour Power – Aboriginal Art Post 1984 at the National Gallery of Victoria in 2004 celebrated her contributions to the broader narrative of contemporary Aboriginal art, demonstrating how her work continued to captivate audiences well after her passing. Internationally. These exhibitions, held after her death, reflect the enduring fascination with her art and its relevance across different cultural contexts. Even in her absence, Maggie Watson’s work maintained its power, connecting deeply with both national and global audiences. ARTIST CV Selected Collections: Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth. Flinders University, Adelaide. Musee National des Arts Africains et Oceaniens, Paris, France. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Private Collections. South Australian Museum, Adelaide. The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, U.S.A. Selected Group Exhibitions: 2012 - The Bright The Bold & The Beautiful Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney, featuring the work of Sally Gabori, Rosella Namok, Emily Kngwarreye, Gloria Petyarre, Eubena Nampitjin, Lorna Fencer Naparrula, Maggie Napangardi Watson, Christine Yukenbarri and Minnie Pwerle. 2008 - Paintings from remote communities: Indigenous Australian art from the Laverty collection, Newcastle Regional Gallery, Newcastle, NSW. 2004 - Colour Power - Aboriginal Art Post 1984, National Gallery of Victoria Federation Square, Melbourne. 1995 - Cleveland Centre for Contemporary Art, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.; Sutton Gallery, Melbourne; SOFA (Sculpture,Objects and Functional Art), Miami, U.S.A.; SOFA, Chicago, USA; National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin;Mina Mina, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney.. 1994 - Power of the Land, Masterpieces of Aboriginal Art, National Gallery of Victoria; Armstrong Gallery, Florida; The Assembly Hall of the Territorial Parliament, Tahiti, French Polynesia; Palm Beach Community College Art Gallery, West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.A.; Adelaide Town Hall, Adelaide (in conjunction with The Adelaide Festival); Interamerican Art Gallery, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.; Looking towards the Future: Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Flinders University Art Gallery, Adelaide; Sutton Gallery, Melbourne; Chicago Art Fair, Chicago,U.S.A.; Echoes of the Dreamtime, Osaka, Japan; The Asia Pacific Museum, California, U.S.A. (Kelton Collection); S.O.F.A. (Sculpture, Objects and Functional Art), Chicago, U.S.A.; 1994 - 11th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, finalists exhibition 1993 - Awake To The Dreamtime, Kelton Foundation Collection, The San Diego Museum of Man U.S.A.; Adelaide Town Hall, Adelaide (Pacific Arts Symposium); Aratjara - Art of the First Australians, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein Westfalen, Dusseldorf, West Germany; Musee National des Arts d'African et d'Oceanie, Paris; Chicago Art Fair, Chicago, USA; Artajara, Haywood Gallery, London, UK; Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Exhibition, Araluen Centre, Alice Springs; Bellas Gallery, Brisbane; Sutton Gallery, Melbourne; Tjukurrpa, Desert Dreamings - a survey of central desert art 1971 – 1993, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth; Alice Prize Exhibition, Araleun, Alice Springs; CINAFE (Chicago International New Art Forms Exposition), Chicago,U.S.A; Hogarth Gallery of Dreams, Sydney; La Peinture des Aborigenes d'Australie, Musee - des Arts d'Afrique et d'Oceanie, Paris. 1992 - The Haven Gallery, Melbourne; Les Maitres du Reve', Palais Rontaunay, St Denis, Carrefour des Cultures de l'Ocean Indien, Paris, France; The Long Gallery, Hobart; Dreamtime gallery, Gold Coast; Araluen Gallery, Alice Springs; Manyuku, Melbourne; Alliance Francais, Canberra; Hogarth Gallery, Sydney. 1991 - Dreamscapes, Mendelson Gallery, Pittsburgh, Pa, USA; Auckland City Art Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand; Araluen Arts Centre Alice Springs; The Painted Dream: Contemporary Aboriginal Paintings from the Tim and Vivien Johnson Collection, Auckland City Art Gallery and Te Whare Taonga o Aoteroa National Art Gallery, New Zealand; Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Exhibition, Araluen Centre, Alice Springs; Aboriginal Women's Exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; Darwin Performing Arts Centre, Darwin; Albert Hall, Canberra; Hogarth Gallery of Dreams, Sydney; The Womens Gallery, Melbourne. 1990 - South Australian Museum Shop Adelaide Festival; Dreamscapes, Rosequist Galleries, Tucson, Arizona, USA.; Darwin Performing Arts Centre Darwin; Dreamtime Gallery Gold Coast Qld.; F.O.E. Community Art Space Melbourne; Hogarth Gallery of Dreams Sydney.; I.U.N.C. (showing at Hilton Hotel) Perth; Women's Exhibition. The Women's Gallery, Melbourne.. 1989 - F.O.E. Community Art Space Melbourne; Chesser Gallery Adelaide; F.O.E. Community Art Space Melbourne; Hogarth Gallery of Dreams Sydney. 1988 - Yuendumu: paintings out of the desert. S.A. Museum; The Inspired Dream, Life as art in Aboriginal Australia, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory and touring internationally; Bellas Gallery Brisbane; Hilton Hotel (Naidoc Week) Adelaide. 1987 - Blaxland Gallery Sydney; Chapman Gallery Canberra; Karnta Exhibition Hogarth Gallery Sydney. 1986 - Editions Gallery Perth; Araluen Arts Centre Alice Springs. 1985 - Araluen Alice Springs. Bibliography: Dussart, F., 1993, La Peinture des Aborigines D'Australie, Editions Parentheses, Marseille, France. Johnson, V., 1994, The Dictionary of Western Desert Artists, Craftsman House, East Roseville, New South Wales. (C) ; Johnstone, C (Dir) The Painted Dream: Contemporary Aboriginal Paintings From Tim And Vivien Johnson Collection, Auckland City Art Gallery, Auckland New Zealand 1990 Morphy, H. and Boles, M.S. (eds.) Art from the land, University of Virginia Press, Virginia, U.S.A., 1999. Perkins, H. (ed.) Aboriginal Women's Exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney 1991. Ryan, Judith (editor), Colour Power - Aboriginal Art Post 1984, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 2004 (C). Sutton, P. (ed.) Dreamings: The Art of Aboriginal Australia, Viking, New York 1988. West, M. (ed.) The Inspired Dream, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane 1988 West, M. Les Maitres du Reve, Palais Rontaunay - St Denis, Carrefour des Cultures de l'Ocean Indien, Paris France 1992 Market Analysis MARKET ANALYSIS Maggie Watson Napanagardi has exhibited a varied performance in the auction market over the past decade, characterised by fluctuations in both sales volume and total value. Nevertheless, until 2023, when Sally Gabori overcome her in secondary market sale values, she remained second only to Emily Kngwarreye among female Indigenous artists—a remarkable feat considering the plethora of female artists that have emerged since the early 1990s. This distinction alone warrants attention from potential investors. Among the recent results, an important work, Hair String Dreaming (1997), was sold at Menzies on June 28, 2023, for A$27,000. Her famous Mina Mina Dreaming (1995) was auctioned at Cooee Art Leven on March 5, 2024, achieving a sale price of A$110,455, indicating strong collector interest and reinforcing Watson's position in the contemporary art market. In addition, Digging Stick Dreaming (1995-1996), a large work measuring 201 x 351 cm, was auctioned at Cooee Art Leven on November 8, 2023 and sold for A$122,727. This sale further emphasises Watson's market presence, showcasing a healthy price point and increasing demand for her larger works. The achievement above the estimate suggests growing recognition of her talent and importance within the contemporary Indigenous art scene. Maggie Napanagardi Watson’s work first emerged at auction in 1996, marking the beginning of a journey that would see her become one of the most significant female artists within the Australian Indigenous art market. The staggering A$348,000 for her record-breaking work, Mina Mina Dreaming (1995) set a new benchmark for her career in 2008 amid an overall market downturn. Despite her rising stature as an artist of considerable interest, Maggie Watson's sales results have been somewhat impacted by the frequent reappearance of Digging Stick Dreaming, often lauded as her magnum opus. Initially sold at Lawson~Menzies in November 2005 for A$216,000, including buyer's premium, this piece marked her highest recorded price at the time. Two years later, it sold again, this time for A$336,000, and it has been resold multiple times since, accounting for her second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth highest recorded auction prices. Watson's reputation as one of the foremost female artists from the Central Desert has largely been built on works that are not directly linked to art centres, instead gaining prominence through the galleries that first sold them and through inclusion in various thematic exhibitions. The valuation of her paintings has surged dramatically since 2000, when larger canvases created in the mid-1990s—centered around her Bush Mushroom stories—commanded prices around A$20,000. A notable instance occurred in March 2014, when a significant rendition of Mushroom Dreaming (1995), with art centre provenance, sold for A$66,000 at Deutscher and Hackett's auction of the Ainsworth Collection. While this was noted as her 14th highest result, it stood as the top price for a work associated with Warlurkurlangu Artists, her community art centre. Despite an excellent success rate of 68% without experiencing a decline in auction appreciation, Watson’s fortunes took a downturn in 2012, with four works offered but none selling. The following year, only two of four works found buyers. In 2014, Watson only had one work offered, which sold for A$66,000. This initial success established a positive foundation for her future sales. The following year, 2015, marked a significant upswing as five works were offered, all selling for a remarkable total of A$434,527. This surge indicated a strong demand for her art and an expanding collector base. However, 2016 saw a downturn, indicating a challenging period for her market, suggesting potential fluctuations in buyer interest. The market began to recover in 2017, with two works sold for A$195,071, despite three remaining unsold. This demonstrated renewed engagement from collectors and highlighted the desirability of her pieces. In 2018, the total value dropped significantly to A$15,720 from two works offered, with three remaining unsold. This dip may reflect varying collector interest or pricing strategies that did not meet market expectations. The year 2019 continued the trend of limited activity, with only one work sold for A$6,000, underscoring ongoing volatility and potentially lower buyer engagement. The year of 2020 was a turning point, as four works were offered and sold for a robust total of A$174,032. This revival illustrated a renewed confidence in Watson’s work among collectors. One of her notable pieces, Digging Stick Story (1995), was auctioned at Sotheby's New York on December 4, 2020, and sold for USD 88,200 (A$118,708), demonstrating significant market confidence and falling within the upper range of its estimate. This strong performance reflects the increasing desirability of Watson's works, particularly those from her early career. In 2021, only one piece was sold for A$22,091, indicating a drop in volume. The following year, 2022, saw two works offered, either of which sold, resulting in a total of A$20,010. Maggie Watson's works have shown considerable promise in the auction market, with recent sales highlighting both the strength and volatility of her portfolio. 2023 marked a resurgence with three works sold, generating a total of A$166,947. This significant uptick indicates a strong recovery in market interest and collector engagement. In 2024, two works were offered, with one sold for A$112,909. This shows that while overall market activity may have contracted, select pieces still commanded strong prices. Overall, Maggie Watson's recent auction results reflect a robust market for her works, particularly notable pieces from the mid-1990s that continue to capture collector interest. As her recognition within the art community continues to grow, the potential for further appreciation in her artworks may increase, suggesting a promising outlook for her market position in the coming years. Despite the ups and downs, her work has demonstrated an ability to achieve high sale prices, particularly in years of increased engagement. Maggie Watson’s major works are poised to continue commanding premium prices, outpacing those of her contemporaries in the female artist category from the same region and era. Given their rarity, these works could consistently set auction records with each subsequent offering. Furthermore, her medium-sized pieces are likely undervalued in the current market landscape. Their relative scarcity presents a compelling opportunity for collectors looking to build an important collection. Adding Watson’s works would significantly enhance the representation of female desert artists and provide a counterbalance to the abundance of works by more prolific Eastern Anmatjerre and Alyawerre artists, as well as the emerging talents from Pintupi and Pitjantjatjara women’s art in the Western Desert and beyond. 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 Peter Marralwanga Also know as: Djakku, Maralwanga, Maralwonga < Back Peter Marralwanga Also know as: Djakku, Maralwanga, Maralwonga Peter Marralwanga 1916 - 1987 Also know as: Djakku, Maralwanga, Maralwonga ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE top Anchor 1 PROFILE Peter Marralwanga 1916 - 1987 Peter Marralwanga resided for most of his life at the remote outstation of Marrkolidjban, in Western Arnhem Land. Although he moved to the nearby government settlement at Maningrida to lobby for formal recognition of his outstation in the 1960's, he soon returned to country, driven by a dislike of the lifestyle and concerns of foraging mining companies on Kunwinjku lands. Bark painter Yirawala shared Maralwanga’s desire for an outstation at Marrkolidjban as his clan lands lay in the surrounding country. The two forged a close friendship and it was under Yirawala’s tutelage that, around 1970, Maralwanga began to transfer his great ceremonial knowledge onto barks that were sold for an income that proved vital for the economic viability of their outstation. Naturally, Marralwanga was greatly influenced by Yirawala, particularly in the use of cross-hatching or rarrk in-fill, derived from the designs of the Mardayin ceremony. Yirawala has been attributed as the first Kunwinjku artist to adopt these designs into their bark paintings. There was a marked stylistic difference between these and barks created earlier, which imitated the x-ray manner of rock painting without a great deal of decorative in-fill. Maralwanga was innovative with his rarrk techniques and empowered many of the next generation of artists, such as John Mawurndjul and his own sons Ivan Namirrkki and Samuel Namunjdja to continue experimentation and invention in their works. However, Maralwanga differed from these younger artists, particularly Mawurndjul, who allows rarrk designs to drive his work into pure abstraction. In contrast, Marralwanga’s compositions always centered upon the figurative, to which the rarrk designs remained subservient while altering the formal convention of the rarrk’s colour sequencing and orientation in order to illuminate, to its utmost, the flow and movement of the figure. Marralwanga explained the interplay in his work, between stylistic conventions and his own personal interpretation, as being ‘half secret one, half ordinary one' (cited in Taylor 2004: 123); one half being determined by Marralwanga’s own emotional response to every day life on the land and the other half by the more formalised spiritual connotations of that same land. Thus Marralwanga’s work carries layers of meaning. At one level, that of his distinct visual aesthetic and interpretation, but always underneath remains a link to deeper spiritual meaning. In his rendition of the giant creator spirit Luma Luma, complex rarrk designs adorn this central figure of the Mardayin ceremony to evoke its power to transform upon death into the sacred objects, which the ceremony centers upon. While in Mimi Spirit Dancing at Catfish Ceremony 1979 he portrays a large catfish of the type caught in fish-traps during the run-off of the rivers at the end of the wet season. The scale of the fish allowed him to explore the subtleties of rarrk and contrast these with the bold colours and shapes of the fish's tail and backbone. A Mimi spirit dances to the lower right to indicate that it was the Mimi who taught Marralwanga’s ancestors to hunt and fish and who gave this power totem to them. And in his depiction of Yingara, the Rainbow serpent, the weed in the waterholes is the hair of his second born daughter, the mermaid-like Ngalkunburruyayami, while the vines growing in the nearby trees are the feathered strings she and his son, Ngalod, carried. Marralwanga’s scope of subjects was diverse and revealed a profound and deeply spiritual knowledge. As Luke Taylor lamented during a conversation with Marralwanga about the mermaid-like Yawk Yawk spirits, while ‘we can begin to learn the outside aspects of spirituality in these works, I don’t believe that non-Aboriginal people can progress to feeling this spirituality in exactly the same way as the artist' (1991: 26). Peter Marralwanga was a truly great painter who lived and died before Aboriginal art gained its current national and International prominence. In 1981 and 1983 he had solo exhibitions with Mary Macha at Aboriginal Traditional Arts in Perth and at the time was second only in recognition to his lifelong friend and countryman Yirawala as the most influential Kunwinjku artists of their generation. His works were included in the important landmark exhibitions; A Myriad of Dreaming: Twentieth Century Aboriginal Art in 1989, Aboriginal Art and Spirituality in 1991 and Crossing Country - the Alchemy of Western Arnhem Land Art in 2004 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. ARTIST CV Market Analysis MARKET ANALYSIS Peter Marralwanga created paintings for close to 20 years and during that time institutions collected many of his finest works. He began painting prior to the formation of any art centres in Arnhem Land and sold works to Dorothy Bennett, Jim Davidson and others, who infrequently visited his outstation on buying trips. Marralwanga became an active member of Maningrida Arts and Culture upon its establishment in the late 1960’s and, in the absence of all but a few private galleries, it was through the Government owned Aboriginal Arts and Crafts marketing company that he gained greater recognition as it opened galleries in each of the State capitals between 1970 and 1987. His work first appeared on the secondary market in 1994 when all three of those offered failed to sell. However, over the next three years his paintings fared much better with all nine of those offered finding willing buyers. Overall his success rate is a very healthy 76% at auction, although his best year was as long go as 1999, the year his record sale was achieved for Untitled (Saltwater Crocodile) c.1972 . This large bark measuring 210 x 90 cm sold for $21,850 at Sotheby's in June of that year against a presale estimate of $15,000-25,000 (Lot 15). The painting is of exquisite beauty and detail, with shades of purple ochre unique to Marralwanga’s country. Though it is characteristic of his style in its diverse arrangement of the clan design that illuminates the rotund crocodile in motion, its age and subject sets it apart from many of his other works. A white figure sits above the figure of the Crocodile lying on a vast plain background, clearly resembling an artifact of some ethnographic importance. In contrast, works such as Mimih Spirit Dancing at Catfish Ceremony 1979 are distinctive for their innovative pattern and intricacy, This work sold for a considerable $13,200 at Sotheby’s in July 2005 when estimated at $10,000-15,000 (Lot 56). And in November 2006, despite an estimate of just $3,000-4,000 a magnificent Lorrkon, Hollow Log Coffin, c.1977 sold for $10,200, and became his highest priced sculpture to date. (Lot 83). Despite his success at auction there have been some notable failures. Luma Luma c. 1980 which had sold for $9,200 in 1999, failed to resell in 2006 at an estimate of $15,000- 25,000 despite being a stunning piece. Though smaller than the work that holds his record, it was still a substantial painting measuring 172.5 x 50.5 cm and certainly looked to have all the ingredients required to break a record that had stood for seven years. In the buoyant mood of the market, its failure to sell seems to indicate that Marralwanga’s works may have reached a plateau. Another minor work, Jati the Frogs, 1975, failed to sell at Sotheby’s in 2003 while carrying an estimate of $4,000-6,000 and when offered a year later with an estimate of just $2,000-3,000 failed once more to find a buyer. Though his best works achieve good prices, only nine have sold for more than $10,000. This is not particularly encouraging when compared to results achieved by many far less important desert painters. His average price for paintings is low at just $5,374 yet both of the sculptures that have appeared to date have sold at an average price of $6,780. While his sale rate is high, there is no doubt that the trajectory of Marralwanga’s works on the secondary market has, undeservedly in my opinion, not compared favourably to that of his contemporary Yirawala. Though some of Marralwanga’s works, particularly of crocodile headed rainbow serpents appear a little frightening, perhaps even garish to the Western eye, his works are unique and his figures are animated and full of life. He is an artist who is certainly worthy of far greater recognition by serious collectors. During 2010 two sales entred his top ten results, as well as one in 2011. Though Sotheby's July 2010 sale suffered poor results, Maralwanga’s lively Yawk Yawk bark (Lot 82) become his third highest career result selling for $11,400. Another powerful Namarnkon (Lightning Man) image became his ninth best result. During 2011 he was the 95th best performer, bringing his AIAM ranking to135th amongst all artists of the movement. 2017 saw another work displace previous top ten results, when Borlung the Rainbow Serpent sold for $11,780. There is reason to believe that this success should be sustained over the years ahead. 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 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI Lily Hargraves < Back LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI Lily Hargraves LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI 1930 - 2018 Lily Hargraves REGION: Tanami Desert COMMUNITY: Lajamanu, NT OUTSTATION: Kurlurrngalinypa, from the Granites to Jila LANGUAGE: Warlpiri ART CENTRE: Warnayaka Art Centre ARTIST PROFILE ARTIST CV MARKET ANALYSIS Lily Hargraves Nungarrayi was one of the old desert walkers, born in the Tanami Desert in her country near Jilla Well (Chilla Well). When, in 1950, the Warlpiri population at Yuendemu had outgrown the settlement’s housing capabilities, Nungarrayi moved to the settlement of Lajamanu along with 1000 others. A tiny, very isolated point in the north of the Warlpiri estate, ten hour’s drive south of Darwin and eight hours north-west of Alice Springs. Here, Nungarrayi resided until her death in 2018. READ FULL ARTIST PROFILE LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - Karnta Jukurrpa (Women's Dreaming) SOLD AU$20,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - KURLURRNGALINYPA JUKURRPA SOLD AU$15,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAY - WARDILYKA JUKURRPA SOLD AU$12,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAY - WARDILYKA JUKURRPA SOLD AU$12,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - WARDIYKA JUKURRPA SOLD AU$12,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - WARDIYKA JUKURRPA SOLD AU$8,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI- KARNTA JUKURRPA (WOMEN’S DREAMING) SOLD AU$8,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - WARDIYKA JUKURRPA SOLD AU$8,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI- NGALYIPI JUKURRPA SOLD AU$8,000.00 LILY JURRAH NUNGARRAYI HARGRAVES - WARDILYKA JUKURRPA (TURKEY DREAMING) SOLD AU$7,500.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI -NGARLKIRDI JUKURRPA SOLD AU$5,500.00 LILY JURRAH NUNGARRAYI HARGRAVES - KARNTA JUKURRPA (WOMEN'S DREAMING) SOLD AU$5,500.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - KARNTA JUKURRPA (WOMEN’S DREAMING) SOLD AU$5,500.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI -NGARLKIRDI JUKURRPA SOLD AU$5,500.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - WARDIYKA JUKURRPA SOLD AU$3,500.00 LILY JURRAH NUNGARRAYI HARGRAVES - YAWAKIYI JUKURRPA (BUSH PLUM DREAMING) SOLD AU$3,500.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI- NGALYIPI JUKURRPA SOLD AU$3,500.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI- NGALYIPI JUKURRPA (SNAKE DREAMING) SOLD AU$1,000.00 LILY JURRAH NUNGARRAYI HARGRAVES - KARLI JUKURRPA (SMALL BOOMERANG DREAMING ... SOLD AU$1,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - NGALYIPI JUKURRPA SOLD AU$1,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - KURLURRNGALINYPA JUKURRPA Sold AU$0.00 LILY NUNGARAYI HARGRAVES - TURKEY DREAMING Sold AU$0.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI- KARNTA JUKURRPA (WOMEN’S DREAMING) Sold AU$0.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - KURLURRNGALINYPA JUKURRPA Sold AU$0.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - KARNTA JUKURRPA (WOMEN’S D Sold AU$0.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - NGARLKIRDI JUKURRPA SOLD AU$15,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - WARDIYKA JUKURRPA SOLD AU$15,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - KARNTA JUKURRPA (WOMEN’S DREAMING) SOLD AU$12,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI- KARNTA JUKURRPA (WOMEN’S DR SOLD AU$12,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - PARRAJA JUKKURPA SOLD AU$12,000.00 LILY JURRAH NUNGARRAYI HARGRAVES - WARDILYKA JUKURRPA (TURKEY DREAMING) SOLD AU$8,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI- KARNTA JUKURRPA (WOMEN’S DR SOLD AU$8,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI -NGARLKIRDI JUKURRPA SOLD AU$8,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI- NGALYIPI JUKURRPA SOLD AU$7,500.00 LILY JURRAH NUNGARRAYI HARGRAVES - WARDILYKA JUKURRPA (TURKEY DREAMING) SOLD AU$5,500.00 LILY JURRAH NUNGARRAYI HARGRAVES - KARNTA JUKURRPA (WOMEN'S DREAMING) SOLD AU$5,500.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI- NGALYIPI JUKURRPA SOLD AU$5,500.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - WARDIYKA JUKURRPWARDILYKA JUKURRPA SOLD AU$5,500.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAY - KANTA JUKURRPA SOLD AU$5,500.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - WARDIYKA JUKURRPA SOLD AU$3,500.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - WARDIYKA JUKURRPA SOLD AU$3,500.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - YAWAKIYI JUKURRPA SOLD AU$3,500.00 LILY JURRAH NUNGARRAYI HARGRAVES - WARDILYKA JUKURRPA (TURKEY DREAMING) SOLD AU$1,000.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - YAWAKIYI JUKURRPA SOLD AU$1,000.00 LILY JURRAH NUNGARRAYI HARGRAVES - KARNTA JUKURRPA (WOMEN'S DREAMING) SOLD AU$1,000.00 LILY NUNGARAYI HARGRAVES - TURKEY DREAMING Sold AU$0.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - NGALYIPI JUKURRPA Sold AU$0.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI- NGALYIPI JUKURRPA Sold AU$0.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - KARNTA JUKURRPA (WOMEN’S D Sold AU$0.00 LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - KARNTA JUKURRPA (WOMEN’S D Sold AU$0.00 top Anchor 1 PROFILE LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI 1930 - 2018 REGION: Tanami Desert COMMUNITY: Lajamanu, NT OUTSTATION: Kurlurrngalinypa, from the Granites to Jila LANGUAGE: Warlpiri ART CENTRE: Warnayaka Art Centre Lily Hargraves Nungarrayi was one of the old desert walkers, born in the Tanami Desert in her country near Jilla Well (Chilla Well). When, in 1950, the Warlpiri population at Yuendemu had outgrown the settlement’s housing capabilities, Nungarrayi moved to the settlement of Lajamanu along with 1000 others. A tiny, very isolated point in the north of the Warlpiri estate, ten hour’s drive south of Darwin and eight hours north-west of Alice Springs. Here, Nungarrayi resided until her death in 2018. 1986 saw the first painting workshop for female artists in the Lajamanu community. Quickly, she established herself as a central figure of the newly established painting movement. Deeply involved in women’s ceremonial practice and traditional law, Nungarrayi divided her time between hunting bush food and her daily work at the Warnayaka Art Centre, where the senior women chanted sat cross-legged on the canvas chanting their songlines as they painted their Dreaming stories. She painted with a restricted palette during the 1980s, depicting detailed ceremonial activities. As time progressed however, her work evolved into the highly colour charged and gestural style she is known and recognised for today. Nungarrayi became an esteemed senior Law woman, responsible for supervising women’s song and dance ceremonies. She was driven in her fervour to record and preserve her culture. Her love of colour and freedom of expression resulted in a distinctive style, executed with bold, confident brush work and a broad range of colour on minimal ground layers. Her remarkable works, predominantly depicting aspects of Ngalyipi (Medicine/snake Vine) Mala (Wallaby) and Karnta (Women’s dreaming), are included in the collections of important private and museum collections throughout Australia, USA and Europe. Judith Ryan, who was at the time the curator of Aboriginal Art for the National Gallery of Victoria, visited Lajamanu ahead of the exhibition ‘Paint Up Big’ in 1990. For the NGV, Ryan procured a set of pastels by the older women from the walls of the school library. When the paintings were taken down to be packed, Nungarrayi started tearing hers apart – “That one’s rubbish, I’m going to do you another one now.” The other ladies attempted to wrestle it from her. But Lily did not want what she regarded as her weak early work appearing in the National Gallery. ‘She’s a little person with a fiery temperament. She’s called Glurpunta, which means “fighting spirit”’. (personal communication by Christine Nicholls, headmistress at Lajamanu School in the 1980s, see Paint Up Big (Judith Ryan, NGV, 1990). ARTIST CV SELECTED COLLECTIONS Aamu - Museum Of Contemporary Aboriginal Art, The Netherlands Collection Roemer, Germany Museum & Art Gallery Of Northern Territory, NT National Gallery Of Victoria, Melbourne, Vic United Nations, Darwin, NT Peter Boehm Collection, Sydney, NSW BIBLIOGRAPHY 1990 Paint Up Big: Warlpiri Women’s Art of Lajamanu, National Gallery of Victoria 1991 Crumlin, R.,(Ed.),1991, Aboriginal Art & Spirituality, Colins Dove, North Blackburn, Victoria 1991 Glowczewski, B. 1991, Yapa, Peintres Aborigenes De Balgo Et Lajamanu 1994 Lebon Gallery, Paris, Johnson, V.,1994 2004 The Dictionary Of Western Desert Artists, Craftsman House, East Roseville, NSW 2000 “Journeylines” M.stanislawska-Birnberg, JB Books Australia SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2022 Colour Power 22, JGM Gallery, London 2020 Reflection, JGM Gallery, London 2018 Make Me a Sacrifice, JGM Gallery, London 2019 Kitty Simon and the Ladies of Lajamanu, Cooee Art Paddington, Sydney, NSW 2017 Earth, Wind, and Fire, Griffin Gallery, London 2012 Touch The Ground – Brits Art, Germany Galerie Yapa Paris, France 2011 Warnayaka Jukurrpa, Merenda Gallery, Perth, WA 2010 Desert Art: Collection 2010, Gadfly Gallery, Perth, WA 2008 Summer Show, Hogarth Gallery, Sydney, NSW 2005 Yilpinji, Love, Magic and Ceremony, Galerie DAD, Mantes-la-Jolie, France Across Skin- Women Artists of the Western Desert, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA 2001 Tandanya Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA 2000 Lajamanu Warlpiri Artists, Yuwayi Gallery, Sydney (Olympic Games exhibition), NSW 1996 The Meeting Place, Touring Exhibition, Australia 1994 Yapakurlangu Wirrkardu, Batchelor College, Tennant Creek, NT Australian Aboriginal Art, Dettinger Mayer Gallery, Lyon and Toulouse, France 1993 10th NATSIAA Telstra Art Awards, Museum & Art Gallery of NT, Darwin, NT 1991 Aboriginal Art and Spirituality, High Court, Canberra, ACT Ngurra Mala, les lieux du Reve, Ecole des beaux-arts, Grenoble, France Aboriginal Art, Australian Embassy, Washington, USA Yapa, Peintres Aborigenes de Balgo et Lajamanu, Baudoin Lebon Gallery, Paris 1990 Lajamanu Dreamings, Technical and Further Education College, Darwin, NT Lajamanu Paintings, Shades of Ochre Gallery, Darwin, NT Paint Up Big: Warlpiri Women’s Art of Lajamanu, National Gallery of Victoria, Vic 1989 Lajamanu Painters, Dreamtime Gallery, Perth, WA 1987 Australian Made, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW 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 .

COOEE ART 35TH ANNIVERSARY - RUTURN TO OXFORD STREET DECEMBER ONLY From 01 December to 30 January 2017 Viewing Room COOEE ART 35TH ANNIVERSARY - RUTURN TO OXFORD STREET DECEMBER ONLY From 01 December to 30 January 2017 Cooee Art, Australia’s oldest Aboriginal Art Gallery, is celebrating its 35th anniversary by returning to Oxford Street where it began as Coo-ee Emporium in 1981. \n\nOpening Thursday 1st December 2016 6-8pm \nPop-up continues: 1st – 30th December 2016 Location: Wadsworth Gallery, 326 Oxford Street Paddington 2021

TjapangatiOld T Old Tutuma Tjapangati Old Tutuma Tjapangati 1915 - 1987 Born in c1915, Old Tutuma Tjapangati was one of the original Papunya Tula artist in the early 1970s. He was eager to begin traslating his Dreamings onto board right from the inception of the community at Papunya. He was an important ceremonial elder and was one of the first pintupi to own a camel, which he used to travel his homelands near Lake McDonald. He passed away in 1987. Collections: Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth.; Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide.; Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin.; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Group Exhibitions: 1985 - Dot and Circle, a retrospective survey of the Aboriginal acrylic paintings of Central Australia, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne; 1987 - Circle Path Meander, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; 1988 - Papunya Tula Paintings, Wagga Wagga City Art Gallery, Wagga Wagga.; 1989 - Mythscapes, Aboriginal Art of the Desert, National Gallery of Victoria; 1991 - The Painted Dream: Contemporary Aboriginal Paintings from the Tim and Vivien Johnson Collection, Auckland City Art Gallery and Te Whare Taonga o Aoteroa National Art Gallery, New Zealand; 1993 - Tjukurrpa, Desert Dreamings, Aboriginal Art from Central Australia (1971-1993), Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth WA Bibliography: Bardon, G., 1979, Aboriginal Art of the Western Desert, Rigby, Adelaide. (C) ; Bardon, G., 1991, Papunya Tula Art of the Western Desert, McPhee Gribble, Ringwood, Victoria. (C) ; Johnson, V., 1994, The Dictionary of Western Desert Artists, Craftsman House, East Roseville, New South Wales. (C) ; Marshall-Stoneking, B., 1986-87, 'From the centre to the edge,' Xpress 1(6), 28-29. (C) ; Maughan, J., and Zimmer, J., (eds), 1986, Dot and Circle, a Retrospective Survey of the Aboriginal Acrylic Paintings of Central Australia, exhib. cat., Communication Services Unit, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne. (C) ; 1993, Tjukurrpa Desert Dreamings, Aboriginal Art from Central Australia (1971-1993), exhib. cat., Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth. (C) See market performance. Explore our artworks See some of our featured artworks below ANGELINA PWERLE NGAL - UNTITLED ( BUSH RAISIN MAN) Price AU$3,000.00 ALISON (JOJO) PURUNTATAMERI - WINGA (TIDAL MOVEMENT/WAVES) Out of stock LILY YIRDINGALI JURRAH HARGRAVES NUNGARRAYI - KURLURRNGALINYPA JUKURRPA Price From AU$13,500.00 BRONWYN BANCROFT - UNTITLED Out of stock JOSHUA BONSON - SKIN: A CELEBRATION OF CULTURE Price AU$8,500.00 BOOK - KONSTANTINA - GADIGAL NGURA Price From AU$99.00 FREDDIE TIMMS - MOONLIGHT VALLEY Price AU$35,000.00 NEIL ERNEST TOMKINS - BURN THERE, DON'T BURN THERE Price AU$7,000.00 SHOP NOW