Margaret Lewis Napangardi

Mina Mina Dreaming  | 88h x 148w | RK130

Not stretched or framed  |  Acrylic on canvas

Margaret Lewis Napangardi is a Warlpiri woman born in 1956 at Mount Doreen Station, situated northwest of Alice Springs. Margaret's father, Paddy Lewis Japanangka, was her first influence, teaching her to paint. However, she has since developed her own distinctive style and use of colour and continues to progress through creatively playing with design and pigments.

Margaret's full blood sister is highly acclaimed artist, Dorothy Napangardi and she is the skin sister to the late artist Judy Watson Napangardi. Her artworks are a structured and intricate network of dots and line work to reflect the flowing and undulating landscapes of her Dreaming country at Mina Mina.

Mina Mina Jukurrpa relates to a major Women’s Dreaming site that is sacred to Warlpiri women of the Napangardi and Napanangka skin groups. Mina Mina is located well to the west of Yuendumu in the Tanami Desert, in country that features and is dominated by salt lakes, claypan soakages and sandhills.

The Dreaming describes the journey of a group of women of all ages who travelled east gathering food, collecting Ngalyipi (Snake Vine) and performing ceremonies as they travelled. The women began their journey at Mina Mina where Karlangu (digging sticks) emerged from the ground. Taking these implements the women travelled east creating Janyinki and other sites. Their journey took them eventually beyond Warlpiri country.

Margaret has exhibited extensively within Australia and internationally, and her work has a strong following.