Janet Long Nakamarra was born in 1960 at Anninie on her traditional homelands of Warntapari, near Willowra Community in Central Australia. She grew up living a traditional lifestyle with her family. She was introduced to art depiction through observing her aunt’s May and Molly Napurrula and learnt how to paint traditional body paint design for her Warntapari Dreamings. Janet is the daughter of fellow artist, Nora Long Nakamarra, sister to Doreen Dickson Nakamarra and half sister to well known and talented artist Malcolm Maloney Jagamarra.
After leaving school she began assisting the elders in the community in producing books in Warlpiri language whilst also studying to be a teacher. These books “Warlpiri Women’s Voices” were translated into both English and Warlpiri. Through her hard work and determination she gained the status of linguist with her people and began to teach as a literacy worker at the Willowra School.
She first began to paint in 1989 on small boards when the community store began to stock art supplies for the artists residing there. It was her half-brother, Malcolm Maloney Jagamarra who appreciated her interest in painting and taught her how to use the medium of acrylics on canvas. When author, Vivien Johnson, began to collect information for her book “Aboriginal Artists of the Western Desert: A Biographical Dictionary” in the early 1990’s, Janet was approached to assist in the translation and gathering of artist information for the Willowra artists.
In 2003 after a period of apprenticeship and women’s law she was given permission by the Warlpiri elders to paint stories about Ngapa (of Water Dreaming). In these paintings Janet depicts the underground water flow at Warntapari. It is a place where ceremonies are performed. In her paintings she uses traditional iconography to represent soakages in the land. Her paintings are detailed with intricate dotting which flows across the canvas. She uses a topographical view of the land to connect the water soakages and the travelling that her ancestors had to make to ensure their survival and access to water.
Other subjects of Janet’s artworks include Ngapa, Witchetty Grub, Snake, Frog, Women’s Ceremony and Seed Dreaming. For Warlpiri women from Central Australia during ceremonies to pay homage to the ancestors the women will paint their upper bodies, arms and breasts with markings in ochre paste. The markings themselves symbolise the actions of the ancestors.
Exhibitions
1998, Parker Gallery, Sydney
1998, "Out Of Australia" Exhibition, Lui Hai-Su National Art Museum, Shanghai, China.
1998, Aboriginal Art Galleries, Melbourne
1998, Aboriginal Desert Art Gallery, Alice Springs
1999, Jinta Desert Art Gallery, Sydney
1999, a one-person exhibition, Sydney's Chifley Square.
1999, United Nations, New York, USA
2001, Landesmuseum für Natur und Mensch, Oldenburg - Nacht derMuseen,-Brit's Art & Promotion Quellenhof-Dorint Hotel, Aachen - EU-Australia Coal Conference - Brit's Art & Promotion,
2002, Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum, Köln - Brit's Art & Promotion "Jinta Jungu" ,
Museum für Naturkunde, Zentralinstitut der Humbold-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin - Brit's Art & Promotion, Leere & Vision, Herford - Brit's Art & Promotion art - communication, Vodafone, Ratingen,
2002, TOAAC Gallery, Brisbane, QLD, Solo exhibition.
COLLECTIONS:
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Australian Embassy, New York
Berndt Museum of Anthropology, University of Western Australia.