NYANKULYA WATSON
Nyankulya was born at Mt Aloysius, a rockhole not far from the tri-state border, sometime around 1938. As a teenager she lived at Anumarpiti, now an outstation of Irrunytju. She remembers shortly after this time white fellas came and told her family to go to Ernabella. "It was good at the mission, there was lots of flour, tea and sugar. In the morning we would listen for the bell, then we would line up for food, go to church and then to work."
Her family walked back to Amata then Irrunytju. Nyankulya was a founding member of Irrunytju Arts. She now resides in Nyapari, South Australia and paints for both Irrunytju Arts and Tjungu Palya.
Exhibitions
2006 Tjukurpa Mulapa: True Story – Senior Irrunytju Artists, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
2006 Minyma Kutjara Kutjara: Four Women of Tjungu Palya, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
2005 - Ngayuku Ngura – My Country’ New Paintings by senior artists of the Irrunytju community, Western Australia, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
2005 – The Women’s Show, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
2003 Minyma Pampa Tjutaku Tjukurpa Artplace, Perth
2002 19th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Darwin
Art on a String, Aboriginal Threaded Objects from the Central Desert and Arnhem Land
Nganampa Tjukurpa Kunpu, Nganampa Tjukurpa Mulapa, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
2001 Minyma Pampa Tjukurpa (Stories from the old women) Artplace, Perth
Collections
Art Gallery of Western Australia
National Gallery of Australia
Dr Ian and Mrs Sue Bernadt Collection
publications
"Art on a String. Aboriginal Threaded Objects from the Central Desert & Arnhem Land" Object Australian Centre for Craft & Design and the Centre for Cross Cultural Research.
Cover photo work by Nyankulya Eileen Watson. Allen.
Felicity, Outback Blooms, The Herald Sun August 2 2002