Sonya Napaljarri Cooke
Sonya Cooke is the wife of Henry Jakamarra Cooke, who was a dynamic community leader that passed away in 2022 at the age of 102. They had 14 sons and daughters. Sonya currently resides in Katherine for medical reasons.
She began painting in the early 1980s and created a large portfolio of solo art, as well as art that she painted with Henry. Her Dreaming (Jukurrpa) is typically depicted through dot and line work. As with most Central Desert artists, her art is created from a topographical viewpoint. Her stories are of local animals and the people that are the guardians of the areas she paints. These are the beings that have lived there since the beginning of time.
Sonya is a traditional lady that has great knowledge of Warlpiri history and culture. She also has great understanding of local medicine plants and their uses, and has passed this knowledge to her daughters and granddaughters.