Sheila Brown Napaljarri facts for kids
Sheila Brown Napaljarri (born around 1940, died 2003) was an Indigenous artist from the Western Desert area of Australia. She spoke the Warlpiri language. Sheila was known for her art, which is featured in big group paintings by Indigenous communities. Her artworks are also kept in important places like the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the South Australian Museum.
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About Sheila's Life
Sheila Brown was born around 1940 near a place called Lajamanu in the Northern Territory. This area is about 900 kilometres south of Darwin. It's hard to know her exact birth year because Indigenous Australians often think about time differently. They might remember dates by comparing them to other big events that happened.
Her name includes 'Napaljarri'. This is a special "skin name" used by central Australian Indigenous people. It's like a family group name, but it's not a surname like European names. These skin names help people understand their family connections. They also show who they can marry and might be linked to special animal or plant symbols. So, 'Sheila Brown' is the part of her name that was just for her.
In 2003, the year she passed away, Sheila Brown was living in a place called Mangurrurpa.
Sheila's Art Journey
How Western Desert Art Started
Modern Indigenous art from the Western Desert began in 1971. Indigenous men in Papunya started painting with help from a teacher named Geoffrey Bardon. They used bright acrylic paints to create designs. These designs often looked like traditional body paintings or ground sculptures.
This new way of painting quickly spread across central Australia. A government art program in 1983 helped it grow even more. By the 1980s and 1990s, this art was shown all over the world. At first, only men were painting, and some men didn't want women to join. But many women wanted to paint too. In the 1990s, lots of women started creating their own artworks. People in places like Kintore, Yuendumu, and Balgo began making art especially to show and sell.
Sheila's Painting Career
Sheila Brown was one of the first women in Yuendumu to paint with acrylics. She painted for an art center called Warlukurlangu Artists in Yuendumu. She kept painting for them even when she moved to Mangurrurpa. In October 1985, her art was shown in the very first exhibition of paintings from Yuendumu. This show was at the Araluen Centre for Arts and Entertainment in Alice Springs.
Western Desert artists like Sheila often paint special 'dreamings'. These are like ancient stories or myths that they have a special connection to. Sheila's paintings included stories about Witi Jukurrpa (ceremonial poles) and Ngarlkirdi (the witchetty grub). She also painted Yiwarra (the Milky Way), bandicoots, and Two Women stories. All these stories are linked to the area around Kunajarrayi, also known as Mount Nicker. This is an important ceremonial place in the Northern Territory. Some of her dreaming stories are shared with other famous artists, like Paddy Japaljarri Sims. He helped start the Yuendumu doors project, which was a big moment for modern Indigenous art.
Sheila Brown also worked with other artists on some very large paintings. In 1994, she helped create Karntakurlangu Jukurrpa (Women's Dreaming). This artwork is now owned by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It was shown in the gallery as part of an exhibition called Gamarada in 1996–97. In 1996, Sheila was one of 29 women and 5 men who worked together on Karrku Jukurrpa. This painting was made for John Kluge's collection. It was shown at the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection at the University of Virginia. This big painting brings together many symbols and stories about the people and land around Yuendumu.
Where to See Her Art
