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Judy Martin

Judy Martin

Judy Martin, skin name Napangardi and nickname Nambia, was born in the late 1930s in the southern Tanami desert. Her mother was the legendary Warlpiri artist, Lorna Yulyurlu Napurrurla Fencer. Nambia’s father died shortly after her birth, leaving her to be raised in the bush and around the Dreaming site of Minamina by her mother.

During the government relocation scheme in the early 1950s, Nambia’s family was rounded up and moved to the community of Yuendumu. As a result of the displacement, many of her siblings moved to Alice Springs and became addicted to alcohol.

Like her mother, Nambia has also become a famed artist, exhibiting around the world in Europe and North America, as well as extensively throughout Australia.

Nambia’s artwork is instantly recognisable for its bold simplicity and her eclectic colour palette.

Artwork by Judy Martin