Pansy Napangati

Pansy was associated with Tingari Arts for many years
and was always keen to paint, chat and laugh.

She was fun, a pleasure to be with and it was an honour for Linx Macpherson, Director, Tingari Arts,
to listen to Pansy relating her Dreaming Stories whilst she painted,
especially the Willy Wagtail and Hail Stories.

Pansy Napangati was one of the first women to paint in her own right in the early 1970’s rather than assist male relatives painting for Papunya Tula Artists.  As the company’s resources were only for senior male artists Pansy, initially, sold her work independently in Alice Springs.

In 1983 she began working with Papunya Tula Artists in her own right and by the late 1980’s Pansy was its foremost woman artist, and in 1989 winning the sixth National Aboriginal Art Award.

Pansy inherited many Dreamings from her parents including Seven Sisters, Bush Banana, Water Snake, Desert Raisin and Kungkakutjara (two women).

Pansy Napangati painting July 2003

Byanka Camin, Pansy Napangati, Alex Macpherson 2003

One of Pansy’s special Dreamings was The Willy Wagtail, 
the dramatic white dots on the black background. 
Everyone loves the Willy Wagtail!

Pansy was the first artist to paint with Linx Macpherson in 2001 and remained with Tingari Arts for many years. And she was always the most fun!.

Many of Pansy’s paintings are white dots on a black background but sometimes in the early 2000’s she would use two colours - but not how we imagined!

Pansy would pour two colours of quite thick paint into the lid of paint bottle. The colours did not meld together. Pansy would then dip a stick (bamboo skewer) into the join of the two colours making each dot ‘two toned’.

It was slow work that produced mesmerising paintings. 

Pansy painting with two colours on the stick, each colour is actually two seperate colours

And everyone associated with Tingari Arts loved Pansy.

Pansy with completed artwork, Pansy in Sydney 2005 our borrowed car, LInx, Pansy and Daisy at Daisy's birthday lunch 11 Oct 2005, Pansy Napangati with Gloria Petyarre, Pansy