Tjawina is a community elder and senior artist from the Western Desert, a community known for producing quality art. She has been a life long companion to her sisters Esther Giles and Nyurapayia Nampitjinpa, the latter being one of the most important presences in the 1994 Women’s painting. Tjawina is highly respected for her knowledge of important women ceremonies. This movement at Haasts Bluff for the Kintore Women heavily influenced their art practice and can still be seen in their work today. This event announced the arrival of the women desert artists, who until that time had largely worked in the background for their men folk. This important event was timely, as the family of Tjawina Porter Nampitjinpa and Nyurapayia Nampitjinpa had moved to Papunya in the early days of this government settlement, and had been at the centre of the art movement that had emerged from there. Like other desert artists who moved from their homelands, Tjawina Porter Nampitjinpa maintained a strong connection to her ancestral country around Docker River. Now living back at Docker River with her sister Esther Giles Nampitjinpa, Tjawina paints some of those important Dreaming sites from birthplace.
She greatly enjoys paintings and encourages other members of her community to continue this tradition, and in doing so promote their culture.
