Nyakul Dawson facts for kids

Nyakul Dawson was an Australian Aboriginal artist. He came from Irrunytju, a community in Western Australia. He was one of the first Ngaanyatjarra artists to become well-known for his paintings. His art used Western-style painting methods. You can see his work in important places like the National Gallery of Victoria and the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Aboriginal Artist: Early Life

Nyakul Dawson was born around 1935. This was near Mount Davies in South Australia. No one knows the exact year he was born. This is because he was born in the wild, away from towns. He grew up without contact with modern society.

Growing Up in the Desert

Nyakul and his family were part of the Ngaanyatjarra people. They lived a traditional, nomadic life in the desert. This means they moved from place to place. When he was a boy, Nyakul started training to be a ngangkaṟi. This is a traditional healer. His grandfather taught him about the land. He also learned about spiritual knowledge and laws. He was taught how to use old tools to heal people.

Moving to Warburton

In the 1950s, government groups moved Nyakul's family. They had to leave their home. This was to keep them safe from fallout. Fallout is dust from nuclear tests. These tests were happening at Maralinga. His family settled at Warburton. Many other Ngaanyatjarra families lived there too. At Warburton, he was given the surname "Dawson."

Expert on the Land

Nyakul's childhood in the desert made him very skilled. He knew how to survive in the wilderness. He often helped as a guide. He went on trips to find minerals.

Family Life

While at Warburton, Nyakul married Alkawari. They later moved to Irrunytju. This was closer to Nyakul's homeland. They had three children in the 1970s. Much later, Nyakul married again. His second wife was Anmanari Brown. Anmanari had children from a previous marriage. They became part of Nyakul's family. Nyakul was always respected as a community elder. He was also a traditional healer until he passed away.

Nyakul Dawson as an Artist

Nyakul Dawson started painting in 2002. He was in his 60s. The year before, the women of Irrunytju opened an art center. It was called Irrunytju Arts. His wife, Anmanari, was already painting there. Nyakul joined her. Other senior men from the community also started painting. His first wife, Alkawari, also became a successful artist at Irrunytju.

Stories in His Art

Nyakul's paintings show creation stories. These stories come from the Dreamtime. They also show ideas from his spirituality. His art tells how his ancestors created the land. His birthplace is on a special path. This path is called the Dreaming track. It is also known as a "songline." It belongs to the Wati Ngiṉṯaka (Goanna Man). This is the path traveled by one of his ancestors. This ancestor's totem animal is the perentie lizard. The scenes in his paintings are from places he visited as a boy. These places are in the central Australian desert.

Representing Aboriginal Art

Nyakul was part of the Executive Committee of Desart. He served there for several years. In June 2006, he traveled to Paris. He went for the opening of the Musée du quai Branly. He was there with the Australia Council for the Arts. He represented Aboriginal Australian art.

Nyakul Dawson's Death

Nyakul Dawson died in January 2007. He was driving with his nephew, Jarman Woods. They were crossing the Great Victoria Desert. They had spent Christmas with family in Kalgoorlie. They were driving home on a long, lonely desert track. The trip between Kalgoorlie and Irrunytju is over 800 km (500 mi). They had made this journey many times before.

Lost in the Desert

Their car got a flat tyre after leaving Coonana. They were reported missing on January 8. This was at Tjuntjuntjara. This was the next community on their route. Both men died from dehydration. Nyakul also had diabetes. This made him more at risk in the extreme heat. His body was found on January 12. This was about two weeks after they left Kalgoorlie. It was found near the car. This was about 325 km (202 mi) east of Kalgoorlie. Woods' body was found a few kilometers further away.