Known also as: Pansy Smith, Pansy Napangardi

Region: Alice Springs

Language Group: Walpiri/Luritja

Born at Haasts Bluff, circa 1947 Pansy began painting traditional mythological stories in the 1970’s. While she lived at Papunya, Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa and Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula influenced her art. After she moved to Alice Springs, she commenced painting for Papunya Tula Artists. In her art, she experiments with colours and shapes but still keeps the traditional content of the stories. Her Dreamings include Seven Sisters, Hail, Desert Raisin and Two Women.

Warlpiri artist, Pansy Napangardi was born in 1949 and grew up on a mission settlement at Haast Bluff in Central Australia. She moved to Alice Springs in 1989. As a young girl she lived a nomadic life, hunting and gathering bush tucker. Upon seeing her uncle painting, she asked him, “Can you tell me my mother’s dreamings? I want to put them down.” They told her the stories and showed her in the sand how to depict them. She practised on paper and later used her designs to do collages made up with the ininti seeds from which the women made jewellery. As she gained experience in this form, she moved into her forte’, acrylic on canvas. Since that time Pansy’s paintings have inspired world acclaim. Today she is considered one of the foremost artists from Alice Springs.

Pansy’s work gives voice to her traditional beliefs and symbolises a triumphal cultural statement, preserving the cultural heritage of the Western desert people. Her paintings are remarkable with their use of colour. Her paintings represent the fertility and glory of her traditional land, making a statement about the relationship of her people and their tribal lands. Pansy is an artist who constantly experiments and surprises. Her close contact with Non-Aboriginal Australians has progressed her in her search for new rhythms and frontiers; yet she always remains steadfast within the confines of Aboriginal traditions.

Her work was seen at the 1988 Brisbane expo as well as the cover of ‘The Inspired Dream’, which was published at the same time. She has had several solo exhibitions, one of them at the Sydney Opera House, followed by the Gallery Gabrille Pizzi. Her work is featured in many group exhibitions including Richard Kelton Foundation collection, ‘Mythscapes’ at the National Gallery Canberra and the ‘Karnta’ exhibition at the New South Wales Art Gallery. In 1989 she won the 6th National Aboriginal Art Award and in 1993 won the Northern Territory Art Award.

Selected Exhibitions:

• 1991,1987,1988,1989 Gabrielle Pizzi Melbourne;
• 1998 “Dot Painting”;
• 1998 “The Inspired Dream”, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane;
• 1998 Expo Brisbane;
• 1998 Sydney Opera House;
• 1994 National Gallery of Victory, Melbourne;
• 1998-2000 travelling exhibition in Washington D.C. and also in Australia

Selected Collections:

• National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
• National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne,
• Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, Darwin;
• Holmes-a-Court Collection, Perth;
• Artbank
• Art Gallery of Queensland, Brisbane
• 1989-2000  travelling Exhibition in Washington, D.C. and Australia,

Awards:

1989 Winner 6th National Aboriginal Art Award; 1993 Northern Territory Art Award.

Bibliography:

Birnberg, M. & Kreczmanski, JB. (2004 ed). Aboriginal Artists: Dictionary of Biographies. JB Publishing Company S.A.