Alice Nampitjinpa Dixon

Alice was born in 1943 near Talaalpi, which is a swamp near and a litt􏰁le bit to the east of Walungurru on the Western Australian border. She is part of Ikuntji Artists. Prior to her painti􏰀ng Alice worked for many years at the Kintore School teaching the young girls dancing and the tradi􏰀tions of the desert people. Alice started painti􏰀ng on the “Minyama Tjukurrpa” – the Kintore Haasts Bluff collaborati􏰀ve canvas project. As a painter she is inspired by her rich cultural heritage, and thrives when involved with her stories and lore. Alice is an ac􏰀tive “dancing woman” who travels widely to parti􏰀cipate in annual ceremonies and “Women’s Law” mee􏰀tings.

Alice’s tjukurrpa is the porcupine or Tjilkamala. Her story is told in bright colours oft􏰂en u􏰀tilizing orange and yellow to mirror the ochres that are used in ceremonial body pain􏰀ting. In her tjukurrpa story there is oft􏰂en the porcupine scurrying about rock holes and hiding places looking for tucker while nearby the women are themselves hunti􏰀ng, laying in wait for the porcupine. Alice is a keen hunter and likes to go hunti􏰀ng with Eunice Jack.

Alice’s father was the late Uta Uta Tjangala, who was one of the original Papunya Tula painters. His Tjukurrpa is Pungkalungka at Takpalangu. Pungkalungka’s are dangerous, and some􏰀mes kill and eat people. They live in huge caves in the hills. Alice only paints the entrance to the caves to signify the unknown danger of the monster that dwells within. Her father’s country is Ngurrapalangu, and her tjukurrpa has passed to her from this place – the porcupine was travelling through the sand hills and passing near the two carpet snakes, kuniya kutjarra, who were living underneath the water. Alice also enjoys the other craft􏰂s and is involved in producing hand-spindled hairstring for ceremonies and ininti􏰀 necklaces and mats. She regularly goes out bush to collect ininti􏰀 seeds then laboriously pierces them with hot wire to make beads for necklaces, bracelets or mats.

Dixon passed away in december 2020.