Maureen Hudson Nampijinpa
Skin Name: Nampijinpa/ Nampitjinpa
Language: Warlpiri
Region: Yuelamu, Central Australia
Resides: Adelaide S.A
Maureen Hudson Nampitjinpa was born in1959 in the bush at Mount Allen cattle station.
Today, the cattle station is called Yuelamu and is Aboriginal owned.
Maureen attended school at the Yuendumu settlement in the 1960’s and returned to Mount Allan and worked as a school teacher’s assistant. She has four children.
Maureen began painting in 1981. She is an accomplished artist and is a respected member of her community. Her first love is painting in which she refers to this, as culture art. Maureen’s artworks depict traditional Warlpiri Dreamtime stories. Her painting’s originate from Warlukulongu – her father’s and grandfather’s country. Her ancestral Dreaming’s include emu, fire, and women’s ceremonies, which have been passed down from her mother’s involvement in traditional ceremony.
Maureen has been an Artist in Residence at the Mulgara Gallery in Yulara (Uluru- Ayers Rock) and featured in many prestigious exhibitions.
Bush Onion Dreaming artworks depict the search by Aboriginal women to find and gather the edible bush onion. The bush onion grows around the edges of waterholes and creeks and is an onion-like bulb that can be eaten raw, or the onions are cooked in hot sand near the camp fire
The roundels represent the water holes around which the onion grows. The myriad white dots represent the small onion bulbs. “The women walk around looking for tucker and when they find a good place they sit down and dig for tucker.” This painting represents the Dreaming and totem of the wild bush onion.The women also pay homage to the spirit of the bush onion in their ceremonies to ensure its perpetual germination.
Maureen Nampijinpa Hudson
Maureen Nampijinpa Hudson and Nancy Napanardi Martin “Water Dreaming” ( Women collecting water from waterholes ) … 92x92x4cm acrylic on canvas, stretched SOLD
Maureen Nampijinpa Hudson and Nancy Napanardi Martin.”Women Dancing” ( before their Initiation Ceremony ) 60x60x1cm We love this – we can really get the busy-ness of the women as they prepare for Ceremony. This is an aerial view – we can imagine everyone all excited and helping each other get ready. acrylic on canvas, stretched