Artist:   Debra Nangala McDonald

Region: Papunya, NT

Title:     My Special Homeland

Size:      257 x 91 cm

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Debra Nangala McDonald is a Pintupi artist born in 1969 at Papunya. Her mother, Martha McDonald, was an artist, as were her aunties Linda Syddick Napaltjarri and Wentja Napaltjarri. This family of artists has a strong connection to their own story, which involves their ancestors' journeys from the Gibson Desert to the desert settlements. The family settled in the small communities of Haasts Bluff, Papunya, and Mt Liebig in the 1940s.

The clan leader of this small group was Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi (c1920–1987), Debra McDonald’s grandfather. Shorty Lungkata became a well-known artist at Papunya in the 1970s and 1980s, and his stories were closely tied to the ancestral sites around Lake MacDonald.

Debra Nangala McDonald is also related to artist Mitjili Napurrula through marriage, and she has maintained a close connection with her mother-in-law, often painting alongside her. Debra's recent works continue the imagery and stories connected to Mitjili, including those of the Mulga trees traditionally used for making spears.

About the Painting

Debra Nangala McDonald's painting, My Special Homeland, depicts the sacred country of her grandfather, Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi, located near Lake MacDonald. The work features Tingari Cycle designs, which symbolise the journey of ancestral beings and the creation of the land. The painting also highlights the significant Mulga tree (Watiya Tjuta) and the land surrounding Ikuntji (Haasts Bluff), a place her family and mother-in-law, Mitjili Napurrula, are connected to.