About Tjawina Porter Nampitjinpa
Tjawina Porter Nampitjinpa was born in Yumara, Western Australia, approximately 1950. She is a Ngaanyatjarra-Pintupi artist. She is now based in Tjukurla. On the margin of Lake Hopkins, midway between Warakurna, Western Australia, and Kintore, Northern Territory, in tali (sandhill) country.
Nampitjinpa is a half-sister of Nyurapayia Nampitjinpa (Mrs. Bennett) and was raised in the Western Desert’s hunter-gatherer lifestyle. At Yumari, Punkilpirri, Tjukurla, and Tjalili, Nampitjinpa creates women’s body painting and women’s ceremonies for her mother and father’s Dreaming. These sites are sacred, as well as major sources of water and wild edibles. She uses an ochre-inspired palette of mostly white, creams, browns, and pastels in a densely layered technique. She’s also noted for her basket weaving and carving abilities.