Aboriginal Fine Art

Tribe: Warlpiri

Area: Central & Western Desert, Northern Territory

Born: circa 1920's- December 7th 2006

Biography:

Lorna Fencer Napurrula is a Senior Warlpiri Custodian, and has been painting since 1986. Lorna was born circa 1920 at Yartula Yartula. Nearby is the land inherited by Lorna, Yumurrpa located south of the Granites Mine Area in the Tanami Desert, Northern Territory. Lorna is among a small group of women who collectively produced the first paintings at Lajamanu.
Lorna’s work depicts the bush foods of her country originating from Dreaming stories taught to her involving the travels of the Napurrula and Nakamarra skin (or kinship) and some Dreamings from her father’s country of Wapuurtarli. Her main Dreamings are about the gathering and growth of bush foods such as the Yarla (Yam), Wapirti and Marlujarra. These Dreamings entitle her to paint subjects such as the bush yam (sweet potato), ‘ngalatji’ (little white flower), bush tomato, berry, caterpillar (luju), wallaby, onion, water and particular mens stories including boomerangs.

Awards:

1997 - Gold Coast City Art Award, Queensland

Collections:

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Museum & Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, Darwin
The Holmes A Court Collection, Perth
Christensen Collection (housed at Museum of Victoria)
Perth Museum, Perth
Australian Heritage Commission, Canberra
Artbank, Sydney
Laverty Collection, Sydney
Margaret Carnegie Collection