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Lily Kelly Napangardi 1948 - Present

Style
Indigenous

Career Status
Mid Career

Biography
Lily Kelly Napangardi was born at Haasts Bluff c.1948.

Lily Kelly commenced painting in 1986 for Papunya Tula Artists.

Lily depicts the stories from the Haasts Bluff and Kumajarrayi (Mt. Nicker) area and now paints very innovative interpretations of her traditional country for Watiyawanu Artists of Yamunturrngu.

Lily moved to Papunya in the 1960's, and was later noted for the assistance she gave to her husband, the painter Norman Kelly. She began painting in the 1980's. Lily Kelly Napangardi hypnotic 'Sand Hills' paintings are made up of fine dots and dashes, their muted tones building up a mysterious, hidden topography of her land. Lily Kelly Napangardi holds authority over the "Women Dreaming " story associated with Kunajarrayi. Throughout this time Lily assisted her husband Norman Kelly with his paintings, becoming an artist in her own right in 1986 when she began painting for Papunya Tula artists.

Lily depicts stories from the Haasts Bluff and Kunajarrayi region, her traditional country, for the Watyawanu Art Centre. Lily is a respected senior law woman of the community imparting knowledge of traditional songs and dancing to the younger generation. Lily portrays commanding innovative interpretations of her traditional country. Her most recent works are skillful representations of sand hills in their various forms. Lily's works are in high demand and are represented in major private and public collections throughout the world.

Collections
National Gallery of Queensland Brisbane Sand hills of Kintore area 2003
The Kerry Stokes Collection, Australia; National Gallery of Australia Canberra
Art Gallery of South Australia
National Gallery of Victoria - Melbourne
Holmes A Court Collection Perth
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory -Darwin
Art bank Sydney
The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, USA
Thomas Vroom Collection, Amsterdam; James Erskine Collection;
Mollie Gowing Acquisition Fund for Contemporary Aboriginal Art 2003
Thomas Vroom Collection, Amsterdam

Auction Record
Sandhills Around Mount Leibig 2004
$39,600
Synthetic polymer paint on linen, bears artist's name, size, title, and catalogue number NJM04/0235 on the reverse, 176 x 120 cm, Est: $12,000-16,000 Sotheby's Melbourne 24/07/2007, Lot No. 167

Awards
1986 Northern Territory Art Award for painting
2003 General Painting Category, the 20th NATSIAA Telstra Awards

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