Born at Willowra, Kathy remembers the onset of World War II as part of her early childhood at Willowra settlement. A Warlpiri speaker, her traditional country is the site of Wirliyajarrayi, the Dreaming site for Willowra. She paints Ngapa (Water) and Ngurlu (Water Seed) Dreamings on her canvases. For the women’s ceremonies, in which she takes an active part, Kathy has her own Rain Dreaming body paint design which she usually paints, and sometimes ngurlu. She is the classificatory grandaughter of artists May and Molly Napurrurla and niece of Peggy and Lucy Nampijinpa . She began painting in the late ’80s together with May, Lucy and others at Willowra.

Writers:

Johnson, Vivien

Date written:

1994

Last updated:

2011