Valerie Lynch Napaltjarri facts for kids

Valerie Lynch Napaltjarri (born 13 September 1970) is an Indigenous Australian artist. She comes from Papunya in Australia's Northern Territory. Valerie is known for her paintings and prints. Her artwork is so good that the National Gallery of Australia has collected it.

About Valerie Lynch Napaltjarri

Valerie Lynch was born on September 13, 1970. Her birthplace was Papunya, Northern Territory. As of 2008, she still lived in Papunya. She is also a director at the Papunya Tjupi Art Centre Aboriginal Corporation. This means she helps lead the art center.

Understanding Her Name

You might notice "Napaltjarri" in Valerie's name. This is a special part of her name called a skin name. Indigenous people in central Australia use skin names. They are part of a system that shows how people are related. There are sixteen different skin names. These names help define family connections. They also show who people might marry. Skin names can be linked to special totems too. People might use a skin name to address someone. But it is not like a last name in European cultures. So, "Valerie Lynch" is the part of her name that is just for her.

Valerie's Art Journey

The Start of Desert Art

Modern Indigenous art from the western desert began in 1971. Indigenous men in Papunya started painting. A teacher named Geoffrey Bardon helped them. They used acrylic paints. Their art showed designs from body painting and ground sculptures. This new art style quickly spread. It went to many Indigenous communities in central Australia. A government art program started in 1983. This helped the art spread even more. By the 1980s and 1990s, this art was shown all over the world.

At first, only men painted. The first artists of the Papunya Tula company were all men. Some men in central Australia did not want women to paint. But many women wanted to create art too. In the 1990s, many women began painting. People in places like Kintore and Yuendumu started making art. They made it especially to show and sell.

Valerie's Art Career

Valerie Lynch is part of Papunya Tjupi. This group includes descendants of the Papunya Tula painters. These were the artists from the 1970s.

In 2007, Valerie's painting was in a special show. The painting was called Women Digging for Honey Ants at Karrinyarra. The show was at the Ivan Dougherty Gallery. It was put together by a famous curator, Vivien Johnson. This exhibition was important. It marked the opening of the first art center in Papunya in 30 years.

Valerie does more than just paint. She also creates prints. Two of her prints are in the National Gallery of Australia. She made these prints in 2007. They were made using special techniques called etching and aquatint. Cicada Press published them. The gallery bought them in the same year.

Also in 2007, Valerie was in another group show. This show was at the Orange, New South Wales Regional Gallery. It was organized by the University of New South Wales College of Fine Arts. Valerie's art was shown with other well-known Australian artists. These included Adam Cullen and John Coburn.

Where Her Art Is Kept

• National Gallery of Australia