Mother to ten children, Tjunkiya Napaltjarri lived her life in the Western Deserts of Central Australia. A prominent figure in the burgeoning Australian First Nations art movement, Tjunkiya has a striking uniqueness in her paint application depicting her Country, shared with her brother, Johnny Yungut Tjupurrula.
Scratching through lush pigment layers to reveal under-colours, Tjunkiya’s paintings can be found in national and international collections including the National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of New South Wales, the National Gallery of Australia and the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris.
Along with her sister ,Wintjya Napaltjarri, Tjunkiya – also known as Tunkaii, Kowai or Kamayi -created paintings at the community shed in Walungurru (Kintore ) until 2004. From 2004 until her death in 2009, she preferred to paint from home, the widow’s camp nearby. Helen Read