About Lucy Yukenbarri Napanangka (1934-2002)

Lucy Yukenbarri Napanangka from Balgo Hills in Western Australia, is considered to be one of the most innovative and daring of Balgo painters. Napanangka is among the Balgo artists credited for having invented a new style of dotting called ‘kinti kinti’ (close, close). These merged dots were created by her primary brushstroke ‘the splodge’, where she laid down fields of intense colour with a thick texture. Due to the immense ambient temperatures, the paint would dry very quickly, building up a chromatic density that allowed no time for gentle graduations or blended hues. This results in a rich immediacy of contrast and resonance. Throughout her career, Napanangka remained a leading figure among the Balgo artists with her irreplaceable knowledge of ancient places, ceremonies and narratives. Collections ArtBank, Sydney Berndt Museum of Anthropology, University of Queensland Campbelltown City Art Gallery National Gallery of Australia National Gallery of Victoria The Holmes a Court Collection Laverty Collection Kluge Ruhe Collection, USA Parliament House Art Collection Alice Springs Art Foundation, Araluen Centre Ken Thompson and Pierre Marecaux Collection