Lisa Multa

Lisa Multa is the younger sister to Traditional Owner and lawman Douglas Multa, acclaimed artist Alison Multa and painter Patricia Multa. Lisa grew up with her family at Kungkayunti (Browns Bore), an outstation 1.5hrs drive, southwest of Haasts Bluff. Lisa was born at Papunya Clinic in 1975, the closest clinic to Kungkayunti at the time. Kungkayunti is the country of Lisa’s father, Joe Tjakamarra Multa and her mother, Magdelena Multa Napaltjarri, is from Haasts Bluff. When Lisa was a baby she lived with her aunt and uncle, Maudie and Phillip Lane, in Haasts Bluff so that her mother could care for her younger sister, Benita. When Benita and herself were a bit older they moved with their parents to Kungkayunti, travelling back and forth to attend primary school at Haasts Bluff. Lisa then attended and boarded at Yirara College in Alice Springs. After her studies there she then returned to Haasts Bluff.

Lisa also lived at Kintore for some time, where she raised her three children. After returning to Haasts Bluff in 2007, Lisa saw her two older sisters painting at the Ikuntji Arts Centre and began painting herself. Lisa has worked at the local Kanparrka store for many years; she remembers when the store was in the old building. Although the sisters sometimes paint together, Lisa says when she paints she likes to think of her own connection to country, focusing on a birds eye view of the tali tali (sandhills) at Kungkayunti, which she expresses in a variety of colours.

Lisa successfully completed a Certificate I in Visual Arts at Batchelor Institute in 2018, where she studied and practiced fabric design, screen printing and visual design. Recently she has also been recognised as a certified translator. In August 2018, Lisa travelled for the first time with Ikuntji Artists to the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair.

Lisa is very busy in the community, amongst working in the store, doing translating work at Ikuntji Artists and spending time with family, she still finds time to paint when she can.