Collection: Maria Dickenson Napanangka/Ngwarreye

Maria Dickenson Napanangka is a Kaytetye and Alyawarr woman who has grown up her whole life in Ali Curung, sans a small stint in Alice Springs during her high school years. She has been painting with Arlpwe since the Art Centre’s inception and today serves as both as an arts worker and as a member of the board of directors.

Maria has always been drawn to landscape painting, predominantly depicting places around Ali Curung, Ampilatwatja, her Mother’s country (Hatches Creek), her Grandfather's Country and her Country, Miyikampi. As her career has progressed, Maria’s depictions of landscapes have become more abstracted and her most recent paintings feature predominantly black and white. These paintings merge front on and aerial perspectives of Country, formed by an array of textured dots, which represent the variety of bush seeds found on Country.

Maria is enthusiastic about traditional culture and passing on the lessons that her old people taught her to her children, nieces and nephews. When it comes to ceremony time and other cultural outlets, Maria is a vocal leader and educator.