Nyungawarra Ward Napurrula

Nyungawarra Ward Napurrula is a Ngaatjatjarra woman who was born bush near Karrku, east of Karrkurritinytja, around 1956.

Nyungawarra spent her early years moving around the country with her family. When she was a young girl, the family group, which included Nanyuma Napangati, was met by Jeremy Long and Nosepeg Tjupurrula to the west of Kiwirrkurra. The family group then moved to Papunya where Nyungawarra went to school.

It was at Papunya where Nyungawarra met her husband, George Ward Tjungurrayi. After their first child, Gracie Ward Napurrula, was born, the family moved back over the Western Australian border and moved through the Docker River, Warburton and Warakurna areas for some years before settling back in Kintore in 1981.

Nyungawarra started to paint in 2002. Her style is classical western desert art with intricate lines and fine dotting depicting the site of Karrku.

Nyungawarra and George now live with Gracie and their extended family in Warakurna, though they spend considerable amounts of time in Alice Springs and Jigalong with family.