Linda Syddick Napaltjarri

Overview

Born: Lake Mackay in the Gibson Desert

Language: Pintupi

Linda Syddick Napaltjarri was born in 1937. Her innovative and distinctive paintings are intensely original and fuse stories of Christianity and Aboriginal tradition in an attempt to show the link between Christian beliefs and the Aboriginal view of creation known as the Dreaming (Tjukurrpa). Tjukurrpa is a spiritual concept which incorporates past, present and future into a dynamic continuum.

Linda was born around Lake Mackay in the Gibson Desert, of the 'Western Desert' region, near the border of Western Australian and Northern Territory. Her father was killed when she was young, and her mother later re-married Shorty Lungkarta Tjungarrayi, an artist whose work was a significant influence on her when she started painting.

As a child she lived a traditional nomadic lifestyle walking the Pintupi homelands, developing an intimate knowledge of her country. Like many of the families from the desert region during the 1940s, they walked to the settlements on the eastern edge of the desert. There they made first contact with missions and government ration stations that were far from their ancestral lands.

The small nomadic clan that first came to the settlement at Mt Liebig in 1945 had with them a Nangkari (witch doctor), who on seeing a windmill took it to be an evil spirit and attacked it with his magic. Linda's second father, Shorty Lungkarta was also a powerful man, the owner of many Dreaming stories, and was also a Magic man who could communicate with the spirit world. Unlike the others, he had some knowledge of the whitefella world, having worked with the army during the War. He had seen a windmill and knew their purpose. Shorty explained: "This is a whitefella thing, used for getting water up from under the ground. See that pond over there, that is good water for us to drink."

In 1985, just before Shorty Lungkarta died, he told Linda that she was to carry on his work and to continue to paint his Tjukurrpa or Dreamings. So in 1986, Linda Syddick Napaltjarri was taught to paint by her two uncles Uta Uta Tjangala and Nosepeg Tjupurrula, both of whom were significant figures in the Papunya Desert Art Movement.

Linda touches on global themes in her work, and represents contemporary issues affecting her peers, such as alcohol and money. A senior Pintupi woman, most of Linda's works were strictly traditional Pintupi style paintings until recently. Linda also regularly paints Tjukurrpa stories related to the Tingari and the Emu Men. The Emu Men were Creation Ancestors who travelled the country during the Tingari or Dreaming era. The Emu was the totem of her father, Rintje Tjungurrayi and stepfather, Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi. The Tingari were ancestral spirits beings, who went on very long journeys, creating much of the desert landscape in Central Australia, and instructing the people about law and custom. Many paintings represented topographical maps where major Tingari events occurred - significant metaphysical stories combined with the artist's own ever-present memories of life in the Gibson Desert. Linda often incorporates many perspectives and stories into a single painting. Linda's sense of composition and colour are also extraordinary. Linda's work is represented in public and private collections throughout Australia, USA and Europe.

Works

Close

Biography

EXHIBITIONS

2014	Linda Syddick Napaltjarri Solo Exhibition, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA, Australia
2008	Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA, Australia
2007	Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA, Australia
2006	Coo-ee Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia
2005	Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA, Australia
2004	Holy Holy Holy - Adelaide Festival, SA, Australia
2001	Greenaway Gallery, Adelaide, SA, Australia
2001	The Art of Place, Travelling Exhibition
1998	'Spirit Country' The California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, USA
1998	Tjangkiya Linda Syddick, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria, VIC, Australia
1998	Tjangkiya (Linda Syddick) Napaltjarri - Recent Paintings, Hogarth Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia
1996	Dreamings of The Desert: Aboriginal Dot Paintings, South Australian Art Gallery, Adelaide, SA, Australia
1996	Exploring Two Worlds - Hogarth, NSW, Australia
1996	Northern Territory Art Award, Darwin, NT, Australia
1996	Spirit & Place Exhibition - Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW, Australia
1995	Aboriginal Kunst, iut het hart van Australie, Holland
1995	Musee des Arts Oceanie et Afriques, Paris, France
1994	Heritage Commission, Canberra, ACT, Australia
1994	Contemporary Territory Exhibition, Museums & Galleries of the NT, Darwin, NT, Australia
1994	People & Places - 24 Hour Art Gallery, Darwin, NT, Australia
1994	Aboriginal and South Pacific Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia
1993	Perpetual Motion - Australian Tour
1993	Linden Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
1993	Perspecta - NSW Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia
1993	The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
1991	Llewellyn Gallery Sante Fe, New Mexico, USA
1989	Hogarth Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia

COLLECTIONS

•	Art Gallery of S.A. Adelaide, SA, Australia
•	Art Galleries and Museums of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Australia
•	Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia
•	Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia
•	Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW, Australia
•	Gatner Myer Aboriginal Art Collection, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
•	Berndt Museum of Anthropology, WA, Australia
•	Diocese of Parramatta, NSW, Australia
•	Kaplan and Levi Collection, Seattle, USA
•	Musee national des Arts d'Afrique et d'Oceanie, Paris, France
•	Museum Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
•	Richard Kelton Collection, USA
•	St Andrews Catholic Church, Marayong, NSW, Australia
•	St Joseph's Catholic Church, Hadleigh, Suffolk, England
•	St Patrick Parish Centre, Blacktown, NSW, Australia
•	St Vincents Private Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
•	The Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW, Australia
•	The Australian National Gallery, Canberra, ACT, Australia
•	The Dominician Monastery, New Norcia, WA, Australia
•	The Linden-Museum Stuttgart, Germany
•	Wollongong City Art Gallery, Wollongong, NSW, Australia

EXHIBITIONS

2014	Linda Syddick Napaltjarri Solo Exhibition, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA, Australia
2008	Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA, Australia
2007	Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA, Australia
2006	Coo-ee Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia
2005	Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA, Australia
2004	Holy Holy Holy - Adelaide Festival, SA, Australia
2001	Greenaway Gallery, Adelaide, SA, Australia
2001	The Art of Place, Travelling Exhibition
1998	'Spirit Country' The California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, USA
1998	Tjangkiya Linda Syddick, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria, VIC, Australia
1998	Tjangkiya (Linda Syddick) Napaltjarri - Recent Paintings, Hogarth Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia
1996	Dreamings of The Desert: Aboriginal Dot Paintings, South Australian Art Gallery, Adelaide, SA, Australia
1996	Exploring Two Worlds - Hogarth, NSW, Australia
1996	Northern Territory Art Award, Darwin, NT, Australia
1996	Spirit & Place Exhibition - Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW, Australia
1995	Aboriginal Kunst, iut het hart van Australie, Holland
1995	Musee des Arts Oceanie et Afriques, Paris, France
1994	Heritage Commission, Canberra, ACT, Australia
1994	Contemporary Territory Exhibition, Museums & Galleries of the NT, Darwin, NT, Australia
1994	People & Places - 24 Hour Art Gallery, Darwin, NT, Australia
1994	Aboriginal and South Pacific Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia
1993	Perpetual Motion - Australian Tour
1993	Linden Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
1993	Perspecta - NSW Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia
1993	The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
1991	Llewellyn Gallery Sante Fe, New Mexico, USA
1989	Hogarth Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia

AWARDS

2009	Finalist with Tingari Men at Wilkingkarra (Lake Mackay) - 26th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island Art Award
2008	Finalist with Big rain at Walukurritje - 25rd National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island Art Award
2006	Telstra General Painting Award, 23rd NATSIAA, Darwin, NT, Australia
2006	Finalist with Windmill - 23rd National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island Art Award
2003	Visual art grant $11,000 - Australia Council for the Arts
2000	Runner-up - The 5th. National Indigenous Heritage Art Award, ACT, Australia
1996	Northern Territory Art Award - Alice Springs, NT, Australia
1996	Two years - Visual Arts Fellowship, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Art Board, Australia Council for the Arts
1995	Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Fellowship - Australia Council for the Arts
1995	Finalist with The Witch Doctor - 12th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island Art Award
1992	Finalist - Blake Prize for Religious Art, Sydney, NSW, Australia
1991	Finalist - Blake Prize for Religious Art, Sydney, NSW, Australia
1990	Finalist with Ngkarte Dreaming - Blake Prize for Religious Art, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Exhibitions

20/20 Vision
20 Years 20 Women 1 - 30 Nov 2018
A survey of 20 Australian women artists over 2 decades Celebrating 20 years since the establishment of BCFA
Read more

Bibliography

•	Victoria Lynn, ‘Australian Perspecta’ Art Gallery of NSW, 1993.
•	Dawn Mendham & Margie West, ‘Contemporary Territory’ Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, 1994.
•	Johnson, Vivien (1994). Aboriginal Artists of the Western Desert: A Biographical Dictionary. Roseville East, NSW: Craftsman House. ISBN 976-8097-81-7
•	Patrick Corbally Stourton, ‘Songlines and Dreaming’, Lund Humpries Publishing Ltd, London, 1996
•	Johnson, Vivien (1996). ‘Dreamings of the Desert: Aboriginal paintings of the Western Desert.’ Adelaide: Art Gallery of South Australia. ISBN 0-7308-3065-9
•	Dr Vivien Anderson, ‘Dreamings of the Desert’, Art Gallery of South Australia, 1996
•	‘Spirit Country’ The California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, USA, 1999
•	Holy Holy Holy – 13 contemporary artists explore the interaction between Christianity and Aboriginal culture (includes Linda Syddick Napaltjarri – ‘Tjangika Wukula’) (2004), Flinders University City Gallery, State Library of South Australia ISBN-0 7258 1102 1
•	Myers, Fred (2005). “Linda Syddick on Longing”. In Maxwell John Charlesworth, Françoise Dussart and Howard Morphy. Aboriginal religions in Australia: an anthology of recent writings. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-7546-5128-2

Linda Syddick Napaltjarri Indigenous Australian, b. c.1937-

20/20 Vision

Cookie preferences

Join our mailing list