Lorna Napurrula (Aboriginal 1924-2006)
Lorna Fencer Napurrula is a senior artist from Lajamanu, in the central Northern Territory and is Warlpiri speaker. She was born around 1924 at Yartulu, and is custodian of land called Yumurrpa, south of the Granites Mine in the Tanami Desert in the Northern Territory.
She is custodian of Dreamings associated with bush potato (yarla), caterpillar (luju), bush onion, yam and also bush tomato, bush plum, many different seeds and water, for the Napurrula, Nakamarra, Japurrula, and Jakamarra skin groups.
The travels of Napurrula and Nakamarrra moiety or "skin" groups are the inspiration for Lorna's work. The yarla (yam) Dreaming track originates from the country of her birth and travels north toward Lajamanu.
In 1949 many Warlpiri people, including Lorna Napurrula, were forcibly transported to the government settlement of Lajamanu at Hookers Creek, in the country of the Gurindji people, 400 kilometres north of their own country near Yuendumu. Lorna nevertheless has maintained her cultural identity through ceremonial activity and art, and has asserted her position as a prominent elder and teacher in the Lajamanu community.
She began painting on canvas in 1986 - before that she had painted on traditional women's coolamons and digging sticks. Since that time she has developed her own distinctive personal style of vivid colours and swirling designs based on the various bush food and other Dreamings. Lorna does not paint in a classical dot painting style and produces works of a more modernist appearance. She painted initially with the Warnayaka Art Centre in Lajamanu, but now also works with major commerical galleries as well. In recent years, her work has become increasingly free, abstract and sensual.
Her first solo exhibition was in 1997 and since then has taken part in at least one solo exhibition annually, as well as in group exhibitions. Her work is represented in public galleries in Australia and in private galleries both in australia and overseas. She has also participated in group exhibitions at the Warnayaka Art Centre, where she is a member of the artist's co-operative.
Selected collections
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Aboriginal Galleries of Australia; Artbank
Australian Heritage Commission Collection, Canberra
Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory, Darwin
Awards
1997 Lorna was granted the Gold Coast City Art Award. Commissions:
Conrad Jupiter Casino Art Award
John McCaughey Memorial Art Prize, National Gallery of Victoria
Bibliography
GLOWCZEWSKI, B., Yapa, Peintres Aborigenes de Balgo et Lajamanu, Lebon Gallery, Paris, 1991
JOHNSON, V., The Dictionary of Western Desert Artists, Craftsman House, East Roseville, New South Wales, 1994 (C)
RYAN, JUDITH, Paint up Big Warlpiri Women's Art, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
ISAACS, J, Spirit Country - Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art, Hardie Grant Books, South Yarra, Victoria
RYAN, JUDITH, Colour Power - Aboriginal Art Post 1984, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 2004
Solo Exhibitions
2005, Lorna Napurrula Fencer: Recent Paintings, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney; All About Yumarrpa, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
Group Exhibitions
1988, People, Place and Art, Hilton International Hotel, Adelaide, South Australia
1991, Aboriginal Art, Australian Embassy, Washington USA; Paint Up Big: Warlpiri Women's Art from Lajamanu, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; Aboriginal Art and Spirituality, High Court of Australia Canberra, ACT
1994, Yapakurlangu Wirrkardu, Batchelor College, Tennant Creek, Northern Territory
1996, All About Art, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne; Women's Body Paint, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
2005, Decouvrir, Rever, Investir, Australian Embassy, Paris, France.
2004, The Dancers - Warlpiri Women, Art Mob, Hobart; Colour Power - Aboriginal Art Post 1984, The Ian Potter Centre, NGV Australia, Melbourne.21st Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin.
2003, 20th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin.
2002, Lorna Napurrula Fencer, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, Western Australia; Lorna Napurrula Fencer - The Big Picture, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne; Lorna Fencer - Inner Spring - New Works from the Tanami, Mary Place Gallery, Sydney.
2001, Little Gems, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, Western Australia; Tandanya, Adelaide; 'Icons of Australian Aboriginal Art' Singapore.
2000, Lajamanu, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, Western Australia, Opening of Yuwayi Art Centre, Yuwayi Gallery, Sydney, NSW.
1999, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane; Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney; Australian Embassy in Washington D.C; United Nations Building New York, USA; Yapa, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne.
1998, Australian Heritage Commission, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory; Yulyulu, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne; 6th Australian Contemporary Art Fair, Exhibition Building, Melbourne; Warnayaka Warlpiri, Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin; Wild Warlpiri Women, Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney.
1997/8, John McCaughey Memorial Art Prize, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
1997, Recent Acquisitions, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; Me Warlpiri, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne.