Ngayuku Ngura
About
Ngayuku Ngura (My Country) is a major exhibition honouring the life, cultural authority and artistic legacy of Mrs T. Nampitjinpa Porter, one of the inaugural painters of Tjarlirli Art and a highly respected Western Desert artist.
Featuring twelve significant paintings alongside a deeply personal documentary film, the exhibition shares her stories, a profound connection to Country, and Tjukurrpa, the cultural and spiritual framework that underpins Anangu life.
About the Exhibition
Developed through a culturally led collaboration between Mrs Porter, her family, and Tjarlirli & Kaltukatjara Art Centres, the project was created to document and preserve her knowledge during her later years. Filming and painting took place across 2022–23 on her Country in Tjukurla and Kaltukatjara (Docker River). The resulting body of work forms the most comprehensive presentation of Mrs Porter’s practice to date and stands as an enduring cultural legacy for future generations.
About Tjarlirli and Kaltukatjara Art
These are community-owned First Nations art centres located in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands (WA) and NPY Lands (NT). Their work protects, strengthens and promotes the cultural practices of artists living in Tjukurla and Kaltukatjara, where painting, storytelling and Country-led knowledge remain at the heart of daily life.
Funders and Support
The project began in 2022 with support from the Australia Council for the Arts (now Creative Australia), which funded the creation of the paintings and film. Artist fees ensured that Mrs Porter could work with full creative freedom. The national tour is delivered by Artback NT in partnership with the artist’s family, Tjarlirli Art, and Kaltukatjara Art.
Artists
Mrs T. Nampitjinpa Porter
Born circa 1931 at Wiruly-Wiruly, Mrs Porter lived a traditional nomadic life before settlement in the mid 20th century. Her deep cultural knowledge, Tjukurrpa stories, and lived connection to the desert landscapes of Tjukurla, Warakurna and Kaltukatjara underpin all her work.
She began painting in the early 1980s and became a respected figure in Western Desert art, also known for her weaving and carving. This exhibition shares stories previously unrecorded, offering an intimate insight into her life and Country.
Mrs Porter is my mother. She has lived her life in desert country, a world away from the cities of Australia. It’s an arid land – a beautiful land – a network of water sources that are ours. The richness of her knowledge and skill comes from a life spanning immense societal change. Thanks to the power of her storytelling and her endless generosity, she continues to give not just to her families, but to the entire world.
– Dr Elizabeth Marrkilyi Ellis