Nabula Scobie Napurrula

Nabula Scobie Napurrula Biography

Narpula was born in the Haast Bluff area in the Northern Territory. She grew up living a traditional way of life, collecting bush tucker and living off the land. As a young woman she moved to Papunya, the area where Aboriginal imagery was first painted on canvas.
Narpula was married to Johnny Scobie Tjapanangka (now deceased), a Pintupi artist who was involved at the beginning of the art movement in Papunya. Narpula initially helped her husband with the background of his works, and began to paint her own works in the 1980s. In those early years she was the only female artist painting in the Pintupi area.
The majority of Narpula’s works depict bush food stories, reflecting her early life.
Narpula’s work features in a number of important collections in Australia and overseas.

Nabula Scobie Napurrula Description

Nabula Scobie Napurrula Resumé

COLLECTIONS:
Australian Museum, Sydney
South Australian Museum, Adelaide
Holmes a Court Collections, Perth
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
Artbank, Sydney
Flinders Art Museum, Adelaide
Kelton Collection, USA

EXHIBITIONS:
1987 "Art and Aboriginality", Portsmouth
1988 "Australian Art", touring exhibition in China
1995, 1998, 2000, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs
1999, Flinders Art Museum, Flinders University, Adelaide
2003, Chapel off Chapel Gallery, (Watiyawanu Artists), Melbourne

AWARDS:
2001, Finalist in 18th Telstra NATSIAA