Sandhills by Dorothy Napangardi 31x91cm

Sandhills (2004) by Dorothy Napangardi – A Study of Mina Mina’s Shifting Landscape

Renowned Warlpiri artist Dorothy Napangardi often incorporated ochre tones in her sandhill paintings, but in select works, she embraced the minimalist black-and-white palette that defined her most celebrated masterpieces. Sandhills (2004), measuring 31 x 91 cm, is a striking study of the vast Mina Mina ceremonial site, a sacred women’s Dreaming place and the artist’s custodial Country, located near Lake Mackay in the Tanami Desert, north of Yuendumu in the Northern Territory.

Dynamic Movement and Sacred Topography

Napangardi’s intricate white dot work against a black background creates the illusion of shifting sands, mirroring the way the desert landscape gathers and disperses with the wind. The undulating topography of Mina Mina is composed of two vast soakage areas, which, though rarely filled with water, exist as clay-pans. As the land dries, the earth cracks and rises at the edges, leaving behind salt crust formations, which Dorothy captures through her signature meticulous dotting technique.

The Ever-Changing Nature of Sand Country

Central Australia is a landscape in motion —a shifting sea of sand dunes, shaped by the wind, constantly concealing and revealing ancient stories of Country. Napangardi’s Sandhills (2004) invites the viewer to experience the ephemeral beauty of this sacred desert terrain, a place of profound cultural and spiritual significance.

This work is featured on page 20 of the monograph Honouring and Remembering the Art and Life of Dorothy Napangardi, 1987–2013 .

Explore the Artwork and Artist’s Process

The first image offers a close-up view of Sandhills (2004). Click through the images to see the full painting, along with a photograph of Dorothy Napangardi standing beside the completed artwork.