Judy Napangardi Watson
Judy Watson was born around 1935 at Yarungkanji, Mt. Doreen Station, west of Yuendumu, during a time when many Warlpiri and other Central and Western Desert Peoples lived a traditional nomadic life. Along with her family, she made many trips on foot to her ancestral country, spending long periods at Mina Mina and Yingipurlangu on the border of the Tanami and Gibson Deserts. These areas are abundant in bush tucker such as wanakiji, bush plums, yakajirri, bush tomatoes, and wardapi (sand goanna).
Her dreamings, or tjukurrpa, include Ngarlyipi (Snake Vine), Karnta (Woman), Mina Mina, and Kanakurlangu. Even later in life, Judy continued to hunt in the country west of Yuendumu, close to her homelands.
Judy Watson was a cousin to Dorothy Napangardi. When Judy’s father passed away, Paddy, Dorothy’s father, took Judy in as his own child, caring for her as he did his other children.
Basic Information:
- Born: Circa 1935
- Died: 2016
- Place of Birth: Yarungkanji, Mt. Doreen Station, Yuendumu, NT
- Language: Warlpiri
- Community: Yuendumu, NT
Artistic Career: Judy Watson Napangardi, a leading Warlpiri artist, began exhibiting her work in 1990 and has a distinguished exhibition record spanning over two decades. She lived to about 81 years old and was known for her richly coloured paintings depicting the Women’s Dreaming story from Mina Mina, dynamic images of this powerful ceremonial site in the Tanami Desert.
In the Dreaming narrative from Mina Mina, women celebrate the place where digging sticks rose from the ground. They collected these valuable tools and continued their journey, dancing and creating new Creation sites.
Growing up traditionally at Mt. Doreen Station, Judy frequently traveled on foot with her family to their ancestral country. She learned painting from her elder sister, Maggie Napangardi Watson, and they worked together for many years at Yuendumu community.
Collections and Exhibitions: Judy Watson’s work is included in major national and state galleries, such as:
- National Gallery of Australia
- Art Gallery of NSW
- Berndt Museum of Anthropology
- South Australian Museum
- Aboriginal Art Museum Utrecht
- Kelton Foundation
She has participated in numerous exhibitions both in Australia and internationally, with highlights including:
- 1990: Darwin Performing Arts Centre, NT
- 1992: The Long Gallery, Hobart, TAS
- 1993: CINAFE, USA
- 1998: Art Gallery “Culture Store” Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- 2005: Luminous, Northern Editions, Charles Darwin University, NT
- 2006: Songlines, Ceremonies, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
Legacy: Judy Watson Napangardi’s art is highly collectible, and she was recognised as one of the Top 50 Collectable Artists by Australian Art Collector Magazine in 2007. She developed her own unique and distinctive style, characterised by dynamic use of color and energetic “dragged dotting.” Her work reflects a move towards more abstract renderings of Jukurrpa while retaining the sacred details of place and song in her culture. Judy passed away on May 17, 2016, leaving a significant legacy in the world of Aboriginal art.
