Biddy
Napanangka Hutchinson (c.1930s -
c.1998)
Much of the following bibliography comes from Jennifer Isaacs as expressed in this author's book: `SPIRIT COUNTRY Contemporary Aboriginal Art` 1999.
" A prominent Warlpiri artist who mostly lives at Yuelamu, Biddy Napanangka Hutchinson was born at Janyinki, west of Yuendumu, before World War 11. She grew up in the area known as the Granites, named for its rounded rock formation. At and early age she learned how to live off the land, travelling through the Tanami Desert , digging up roots and sucking them for moisture. Her family moved to Mt. Doreen and then Mt. Singleton (Wapurtarli), where they worked in a Wolfram mine. At the time Biddy was only thirteen or fourteen years old.
From Wapurtarli, Biddy Hutchinson then walked to Lajamanu where she married. She later left Lajamanu and moved to Yuendumu where she became a cook. She also sewed and washed clothes with the other women in the old building beside the church.
Biddy Napanangka Hutchinson is the owner of the Jukurrpa, or Dreaming, for snake Vine, edible fungus and digging stick. She is one of the founding members of Warlukurlangu Artists and has been painting for the centre since the early 1980s, when she helped to produce the first works for the Women's Museum at Yuendumu. Her works have been shown in numerous group exhibitions of Warlpiri artists in Australia, the USA, Tahiti and Japan."
As a point of interest: Jennifer's book was published in 1999, but at that time Biddy might already have passed away after the author had finalized her notes. This idea comes from a conversation that I had in that same year with the then new manager of Warlukurlangu Artists (employed at Warlu. before the now current manager C Alfonso ) who had never met the artist, or knew her, and from this it was asserted that the artist had most likely passed away before the manager arrived.
PUBLICATIONS INCLUDE:
Isaacs J. SPIRIT COUNTRY Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art, Random House, Victoria, 1999.
Morphy H. ABORIGINAL ART, Phaidon Press Limited, London,1988.
Morphy H and Boles M.S. (eds) ART FROM THE LAND University of Virginia Press, Virginia, USA, 1999
COLLECTIONS INCLUDE:
South Australia Museum, Adelaide.
Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht.
Gantner-Myer Collection.
Kluge-Ruhe Collection, USA.
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