Below are some brief biographical details of
various artists who work with the community
art centre at Kalka (Ninuku Arts). Paintings by these artists are available in our
Kalka
(Ninuku Arts) Gallery pages.
Ninuku Arts is an Indigenous owned arts centre. It is governed by a committee of practising artists with the advice and support of a full-time manager. All art work produced is catalogued and authenticated and income from sales flows back to individual artists, with a proportion set aside to maintain Ninuku Arts as a community-owned enterprise. Ninuku Arts supports local culture, the development of employment opportunities, and the ethical production and sales of paintings.
Ninuku Arts opened the doors of its mudbrick building in Kalka in August 2006. Since then it has been extended to include another painting room and acquired a silver bullet caravan for a men’s painting room.
Prior to this a ‘roving art coordinator’ provided Kalka and Pipalyatjara with materials, technical advice and cataloguing and sales support between 2004-5. Through that project Tjungu Palya was established in neighbouring community Nyapari and Ninuku Arts in Kalka.
Nampitjin Miller
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Language Group: Pitjantjatjara
Community: Kalka
Born: 1940
Nampitjin Miller was born in the bush and went to Warburton mission for her schooling where she lived in a dormitory with all the other girls. Her family stayed in the camp at the mission. She married and her husband took her to Amata where she had five children. Mrs Miller is a strong and founding figure for Ninuku Arts and respected elder within the Kalka community.
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Nolie Rictor
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Born: c.1970
Language: Pitjantjatjara
Community: Kalka, South Australia
Nolie was born in the bush between Irrunytju and Tjuntjuntjara
some time around 1970. His family was still living a traditional
nomadic life when they walked into Tjuntjuntjara, a community
at the edge of the Great Victoria Desert in WA in the
1980s. Nolie was twelve years old. Anangu (Aboriginal
people from the region) affectionately call Nolie 'bush
boy', and give him respect for his depth of cultural knowledge
usually reserved for a much older man. |
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Puntjina Watson
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Born: 1940
Language: Pitjantjatjara
Community: Pipalyatjara
Puntjina, also known as Monica, was born in 1940 at Pukara, an important rockhole and
watersnake dreaming site. She walked to Ernabella as a young girl with her father and his
three wives, the youngest of whom was Wingu Tingima. She lived there and worked in the
craft room. Marrying Wimitja Watson, a Ngankari (traditional healer), they then moved to
Amata where they had lots of children. The family moved to Pipalyatjara in the homeland
movement of the late 1970s to be closer to their country. Mrs Watson is an important elder
in Pipalyatjara where she continues to live with her husband and family.
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Nyankulya Watson
Born: c.1938
Language: Pitjantjatjara
Community: Kalka, South Australia
Nyankulya was born at Mt Aloysius, at a rockhole not far from the tri state border, sometime around 1938. As a teenager she lived at Anumarapiti, 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. Nyankulya was a founding member of Irrunytju Arts. She now lives in Kalka SA. |
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Tjuruparu Watson
Born: early 1940s
Language: Pitjantjatjara
Community: Pipalyatjara
Tjuruparu was born in the bush around 1940, Anangu way, no house, no hospital "The
rockhole I was born is called 'Kulkutja''. It is a long way from Irrunytju, the other side of
Tjukurla getting close to Kintore in NT." As a young fellow he travelled with his family to
Irrunytju as this is his mother's country. He was a teenager when his family walked into
Warburton mission and was surprised to see so many families there. |
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Wimitja Watson
Born: early 1930s
Language: Pitjantjatjara
Community: Pipalyatjara
Wimitja was born in the bush of the Western Desert in the
early 1930s. He is a senior law man and a highly regarded
Ngangkari (traditional healer). His younger brother Tjuruparu
Watson is a founding member of Irrunytju Arts and has encouraged
Wimitja to paint his Tjukurpa. |
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Ngayartji Young
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Born: 1949
Language: Pitjantjatjara
Community: Kalka, South Australia
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Biographies
of Kalka Artists
