Kayi Kayi Nampitjinpa

Kayi Kayi Nampitjinpa was born in 1946 in her traditional Country of Kiwirrkurra, located northwest of Alice Springs in the Western Desert of Australia. She is a member of the Pintupi language group and has strong cultural ties to the land and its Dreaming stories.

In the early 1980s, Kayi Kayi and her family relocated to Kintore, a community established when the Pintupi people returned to their ancestral lands from the government settlement at Papunya. This move was part of a broader movement among Indigenous Australians to reconnect with their traditional homelands and cultural practices.  

Kayi Kayi began painting in 1996, becoming part of the second generation of female artists who emerged from the Papunya Tula art movement. Initially assisting male artists, these women developed their own distinctive styles and contributed significantly to the evolution of contemporary Aboriginal art.

Her artworks primarily depict the Tingari Dreaming stories, which are sacred narratives involving ancestral beings who travelled across the land, creating and shaping its features. Kayi Kayi has the custodial rights to paint these stories, particularly those associated with rock hole sites and women's ceremonies in her Country. Her paintings often feature intricate dot work and symbolic motifs that reflect the spiritual significance of these sites and events.

Kayi Kayi's contributions to Aboriginal art have been widely recognised, with her works held in major collections both nationally and internationally. She has participated in significant exhibitions and her art continues to be celebrated for its cultural depth and artistic excellence.

Her dedication to preserving and expressing the stories of her ancestors ensures that the rich traditions of the Pintupi people are passed on to future generations.