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Nangawarra Ward Naparrula
She began painting for Papunya Tula in 2002 and her distinctive works are rich in dreaming iconography depicting ceremony and her tribal land.
Born c.1956, southwest of Kintore
Nangawarra is the second of three children to father Charlie Ward Tjakamarra and his second wife Mana-nya. Her first contact with western civilisation was in 1957 when 10-year old Tjuwi Tjungurrayi was taken by helicopter pilot, Jim Ferguson, from the Western desert interior to the Balgo mission for medical treatment. Tjuwi subsequently earned the name "Helicopter Tjungurrayi".
Nangawarra's father, Charlie Ward, was in Papunya during the emergence of the great Western desert painting movement. The family subsequently moved to Warakurna until her mother passed away, after which they relocated west to Docker River and then to Warburton, where Nangawarra met and married her future husband.
Nangawarra is the wife of celebrated Western Desert artist and acclaimed Wynne prize winner George Ward Tjungarrayi with whom she had a daughter, Grace Ward Napaltjarri and son Adrian Ward Tjapaltjarri.
Nangawarra's country is Karrku, east of Lake MacDonald and Southeast of Kiwirrkurra in the Baron Range. She began painting for Papunya Tula in 2002 and her distinctive works are rich in dreaming iconography depicting ceremony and her tribal land. Her works are well collected and have been exhibited in Darwin, Adelaide and Sydney, and also in France.
