19

KATHLEEN PADDOON NAPANANGKA (born circa 1938)
Acrylic on Belgian linen
120 x 80 cm

Kathleen has painted some country south of Balgo in the Great Sandy Desert. The country
depicted here is named Nakarra Nakarra. This is the site of the Seven Sisters Dreaming, a
story about seven sisters who travelled this country during the Tjukurrpa (Dreamtime)
running from an old man who wanted to marry the youngest. Today at Nakarra Nakarra a
group of hills embody the Seven Sisters. The red sections of this painting represent the
hills while the white blocks of colour are the tali (sandhills).

PROVENANCE
Warlayirti Artists, Balgo Hills, Western Australia, painted 2004,
Certificate number 939/04

In her formative years Kathleen walked around the country south of Yaka Yaka with her
mother, father, brother and uncle. This included Mangkayi, her father ’s country, and
Nantalarra and Nakarra Nakarra her mother ’s country. They would also travel to Gordon
Downs Station for rations of tea, sugar, flour and tobacco. When Kathleen was a young
girl, her family moved into Sturt Creek where she worked in the laundry. It was here that
she met her husband, Paddy Paddoon, who was one of the men in the stock camp. Kathleen
commenced painting in the late 1980’s and in 2002 began to emerge as a significant artist
gaining recognition for her predominately red and white paintings of Nakarra Nakarra and
the country associated with this Tjukurrpa (Dreaming) story. She is a senior Law Woman
and a custodian of the Nakarra Nakarra songs and ceremonies from the country south of
Yaka Yaka.

REPRESENTED
National Gallery of Victoria
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
Laverty Collection