Molly Tasman
Napurrurla traversed the Tanami Desert from birth. Spending time at Kurlpurlunu, Mt Doreen station, Yarturlu Yarturlu, & Yurrampi, before her family was trucked to Lajamanu as part of the Government relocation program in the early 1950s. Her real name was Napurrurla Jinjilngali.
Napurrurla was passionate about Warlpiri culture & dedicated to preserving its knowledge for future generations. She taught bilingual education at the Lajamanu school. She then assisted in reopening Warnayaka Art. Her artwork became widely respected amongst her peers & art collectors. She told a story of the army going to her lands where the Newmont gold mine is at The Granites & taking the men to work for them as slave labourers. The mines would hide the men in shafts. But they did take a lot of men. Those men were walked east about 200kms to near Tennant Creek to build infrastructure for WW2.
Her extensive grain fields are located just north west of the mine site visible from the Lajamanu Road. They still exist with trees growing up through the grain.
Her art is a statement of her lands, Warlpiri life & a time of freedom. Painting meant reflecting on life in desert landscapes & songlines that she extensively travelled by foot throughout her life. Napurrurla’s art of Jukurrpa (Dreaming) leaves a legacy to Warlpiri people. It been featured internationally & in exhibitions throughout Australia since 1992. She was a finalist in the 2008 and 2011 editions of the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA).
