Janie Napangardi Williams

Janie Napangardi Williams was born in 1974, in Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community located 290 km north-west of Alice Springs in the NT of Australia. Her biological mother passed away when she was very young. She was brought up by Mary Napangardi Butcher’s Dad, Jack Japanangka Butcher (Dec) and his sister Daisy Napanangka Nelson (Dec), both respected artists of the Yuendumu community. Janie attended the local school, and has three siblings – Joey, Maggie and Graham.

Janie has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu, since 2007. When young she would often visit the art centre and watch her adopted family paint and would listen to their stories. Janie paints her father’s and her Grandfather’s Ngarlidirdi Jukurrpa (Witchetty Grub Dreaming), from north of Mt Dennison. These stories relate directly to her land, its features and the plants and animals that inhabit it. They have been passed down to her by her parents and their parents before them for millennial. Janie uses traditional iconology and an unrestricted palette to depict her traditional culture.

Janie is a single parent raising three children. She currently lives in Willowra, a remote Aboriginal community located 220 km north-west of Alice Springs and 200 km from Yuendumu. Whenever she can, she continues to visit Yuendumu, painting alongside her family and friends.